Mozambique: Assembly Shuts Out Public Again

Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo)

April 5, 2006
Posted to the web April 5, 2006

Maputo

The Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on Wednesday, once again went into closed session, expelling members of the press and the public.

The deputies were discussing a motion approving a report from the Assembly's Petitions Commission. In ordering the press and public to withdraw, the Assembly chairperson, Eduardo Mulembue, was being consistent with the decision taken in early March, when the report was discussed.

Then 155 deputies of the ruling Frelimo Party voted to close the session, while 78 deputies of the opposition Renamo-Electoral Union coalition voted against.

The excuse for secrecy, cited by Frelimo deputies, is article 41 of the Constitution, which states that all citizens have the right to their "honour, good name, reputation and the defence of their public image".

Frelimo thus feared that a public airing of the over 80 petitions mentioned in the report might damage some people's reputation.

Naturally, the opposition suspected that Frelimo was merely trying to protect some of its own members and leaders who might be among those accused, by the petitioners, of illegal or corrupt acts.

This extraordinary decision by the Frelimo parliamentary group, to shut off the deputies from those who elected them, was roundly condemned by the Mozambican press, even by papers with a generally pro-Frelimo editorial stance.

The Wednesday debate should have been a simple matter of voting for or against the report. Instead, the debate was clearly reopened - but in the hall outside, all journalists could hear was the occasional burst of applause.

From a Renamo deputy, AIM learnt that the dispute centred on whether the motion approving the report should mention names of petitioners, with Renamo favouring this and Frelimo opposing it.

The Renamo belief was that, if the names of petitioners were included, then it would be easy to find out what or whom they were petitioning against.

"They're trying to protect those who've been swindling the workers!", exclaimed this Renamo source.

With no access to the debates, reporters are in no position to prove him right or wrong.

fonte: allafrica