Mozambican Democratic Movement supports leader Lutero Simango’s candidacy for PR – Africa

The national council of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM, the country’s third political force), this Sunday gave support to the candidacy of the party leader, Lutero Simango, for the position of President of the Republic in the general elections on October 9.

“This battle belongs to all of us. This battle is the collective battle, it is the battle that will lead us to victory”, said Lutero Simango, who will run for office with the support of the party he has led since the death of his brother, Daviz Simango , in 2021, who two years earlier had also run for the position of President with the support of MDM.

“The main objective since the founding of the party in 2009 has been to gain political power via a democratic process and this will happen now, on October 9th”, stated the president of MDM and also leader of the party’s parliamentary bench, promising “changes and reforms” and the implementation of “a vision of a Mozambique for all”.

Albano Cariz, current mayor of Beira, Sofala province, where this MDM national council took place, had admitted running to support a possible presidential candidacy, but ended up not moving forward, declaring this Sunday his support for the party leader, so Lutero Simango’s name was unanimously approved by the 80 members with voting rights.

Lutero Simango is the first known presidential candidate supported by one of Mozambique’s three largest parties.

The Central Committee of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo, party in power) has been meeting since Friday to decide the candidate, still without success, and the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo, largest opposition party) only holds an elective congress every May 15th and 16th.

The deadline for submitting lists of candidates for President in the October elections to the Constitutional Council is June 10th.

Mozambique will hold its seventh presidential and legislative elections on October 9, the second for provincial governors and the fourth for provincial assemblies.

Filipe Nyusi, current head of state and leader of Frelimo, can no longer compete in the presidential elections, as he has reached the limit of two constitutional terms.