28 September 2009
Maputo — The Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), the country's largest extra-parliamentary party, has accused the ruling Frelimo Party of preventing it from campaigning for the forthcoming general elections in the southern district of Manhica.
The Frelimo supporters "attack us, they push us about, and when we stick up our posters, they rip them down and tear them up", the MDM spokesperson in Manhica, Ananias Manhica, told AIM on Monday.
He was not exaggerating. AIM witnessed a group of Frelimo supporters harassing the MDM as the opposition party attempted to carry out legitimate campaigning activities.
"We don't want you here. You want to steal the country from us", screamed one woman at the MDM group. "We suffered a lot during the war here, we don't want you". (The MDM was founded in March of this year, almost 17 years after the end of the war of destabilisation).
The MDM supporters had gone to the market in Manhica town, where they intended to canvass the vendors and their clients. But they were pursued by the Frelimo group, which prevented them from carrying out their activities.
Unable to work, the MDM activists drove to the local police command. But they could not lodge a complaint, because the Frelimo group, in full view of the AIM journalist, physically surrounded the vehicle and prevented them from leaving it. Eventually, they drove away.
"It's been like this since the campaign began (on 13 September)", said Manhica. "When we stick up a poster, they immediately tear it down. That's why we have a large number of posters we haven't been able to use".
He added that on Saturday, several MDM supporters found themselves prevented by their Frelimo adversaries from catching a bus. These privately-owned minibuses (colloquially known as "chapas") guarantee much of the passenger transport in the district. But the MDM group could not board the "chapa" because they were told the minibuses "belong to Frelimo".
In the Manhica locality of Malongane, the MDM accuses a local Frelimo secretary of ripping from the back of its owner a T-shirt bearing the portrait of the MDM leader Daviz Simango.
In Maluana, the Frelimo first secretary summoned an MDM member and demanded to know "why you've got involved with the MDM", as if it were a crime.
Although AIM witnessed some of these abuses, Frelimo in Manhica denies them all, and claims that the problems alleged by the MDM result from its own disorganization.
"They're not organised, they go and work in places where our shock groups are already present", Antonio Mauelele, Frelimo first secretary in Manhica district, told AIM.
"They go where Frelimo is in order to provoke us", he claimed, "and even so, we don't respond to these acts. Today, for example, although there is plenty of space in Manhica, they went where we were campaigning".
Mauelele said that, if he were in the MDM, he would not bother campaigning in Manhica "because the whole district has already been taken by Frelimo".
Fonte: allafrica
Maputo — The Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), the country's largest extra-parliamentary party, has accused the ruling Frelimo Party of preventing it from campaigning for the forthcoming general elections in the southern district of Manhica.
The Frelimo supporters "attack us, they push us about, and when we stick up our posters, they rip them down and tear them up", the MDM spokesperson in Manhica, Ananias Manhica, told AIM on Monday.
He was not exaggerating. AIM witnessed a group of Frelimo supporters harassing the MDM as the opposition party attempted to carry out legitimate campaigning activities.
"We don't want you here. You want to steal the country from us", screamed one woman at the MDM group. "We suffered a lot during the war here, we don't want you". (The MDM was founded in March of this year, almost 17 years after the end of the war of destabilisation).
The MDM supporters had gone to the market in Manhica town, where they intended to canvass the vendors and their clients. But they were pursued by the Frelimo group, which prevented them from carrying out their activities.
Unable to work, the MDM activists drove to the local police command. But they could not lodge a complaint, because the Frelimo group, in full view of the AIM journalist, physically surrounded the vehicle and prevented them from leaving it. Eventually, they drove away.
"It's been like this since the campaign began (on 13 September)", said Manhica. "When we stick up a poster, they immediately tear it down. That's why we have a large number of posters we haven't been able to use".
He added that on Saturday, several MDM supporters found themselves prevented by their Frelimo adversaries from catching a bus. These privately-owned minibuses (colloquially known as "chapas") guarantee much of the passenger transport in the district. But the MDM group could not board the "chapa" because they were told the minibuses "belong to Frelimo".
In the Manhica locality of Malongane, the MDM accuses a local Frelimo secretary of ripping from the back of its owner a T-shirt bearing the portrait of the MDM leader Daviz Simango.
In Maluana, the Frelimo first secretary summoned an MDM member and demanded to know "why you've got involved with the MDM", as if it were a crime.
Although AIM witnessed some of these abuses, Frelimo in Manhica denies them all, and claims that the problems alleged by the MDM result from its own disorganization.
"They're not organised, they go and work in places where our shock groups are already present", Antonio Mauelele, Frelimo first secretary in Manhica district, told AIM.
"They go where Frelimo is in order to provoke us", he claimed, "and even so, we don't respond to these acts. Today, for example, although there is plenty of space in Manhica, they went where we were campaigning".
Mauelele said that, if he were in the MDM, he would not bother campaigning in Manhica "because the whole district has already been taken by Frelimo".
Fonte: allafrica
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