DIALOGUE BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND RENAMO POSTPONED

 The resumption of dialogue between the Mozambican government and the main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, has been postponed by a week to accommodate Renamo demands over the date and venue.       Last week, the government announced that the dialogue, interrupted in December when the Renamo delegation refused to attend any further meetings, would resume on 22 April.But the Renamo national spokesperson, Fernando Mazanga, cited in Monday’s issue of the independent newssheet “Mediafax”, said the government had not discussed this date with Renamo. “We have told the government that this Monday we will not be available because of prior engagements”, he said. The Renamo counter-proposal was to hold the talks this Thursday, 25 April, but this date was not convenient for the government delegation, headed by Agriculture Minister Jose Pacheco.        The new government proposal is for next Monday, 29 April. According to “Mediafax”, Renamo has not yet replied to this proposal (although the daily paper “Noticias” announces this date as a certainty).Renamo also objected to the venue. The three rounds of dialogue in December were held in the Indy Village hotel, in the plush central Maputo neighbourhood of Sommerschield. Nobody objected, and the government had every intention of continuing to use the services of this hotel, which was regarded as a neutral space. But Mazanga told “Mediafax” that Renamo has rejected this venue, or any other hotel. “There are no conditions for holding serious negotiations in a hotel”, he said. “A state character must be given to the dialogue and you can’t do this round a restaurant table”. No doubt the government will be pleasantly surprised by this demand, since it will be much cheaper to hold the talks in a government building instead of hiring a hotel room. “Mediafax” believes the dialogue will most likely be held in the Ministry of Agriculture.As for the agenda, the matters that concern Renamo are the same as in December – the electoral legislation, alleged discrimination against Renamo in the armed forces, the supposed domination of the state by the ruling Frelimo Party, and equality in economic opportunities.     Since the start of the dialogue in December, the new electoral laws have been passed in the country’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, with Frelimo and the second opposition force, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) voting in favour, and Renamo voting against.Renamo has consistently called for the formation of a National Elections Commission (CNE), with a majority of members appointed by opposition parties. It is now threatening not only to boycott the municipal elections scheduled for 20 November, but to prevent other Mozambicans from voting, or even registering as voters.