The Mozambican parliament said on Wednesday it would not interfere in the case of the dissolution of Guinea-Bissau’s parliament in 2023 but called for the swift resumption of its operations, ahead of the upcoming CPLP parliamentary meeting in Maputo.
“At this moment, we would like to express our solidarity with the colleagues and MPs of Guinea-Bissau, given the institutional crisis in that brotherly country. Our position is one of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states,” said MP Feliz Sílvia, head of Mozambique’s national delegation to the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) Parliamentary Assembly.
Speaking at a press conference in Maputo to address the upcoming 14th CPLP Parliamentary Assembly (AP-CPLP), scheduled for July 14–15 in the Mozambican capital, the MP stated that “it is desirable for Guinea-Bissau to restore parliamentary order as soon as possible, which implies the reopening of its parliament.”
Guinea-Bissau’s president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, dissolved the national parliament in December 2023, less than 12 months after legislative elections won by the Inclusive Alliance Platform (PAI–Terra Ranka), led by the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC).
The leader of the coalition, PAIGC president Domingos Simões Pereira, was also removed from his positions as Speaker of Parliament and head of the Permanent Commission.
Despite the dissolution, members of Guinea-Bissau’s national parliamentary group will still represent the country at the 14th AP-CPLP, according to information shared by MP Feliz Sílvia during the press conference.
Over 100 delegates, including speakers of parliaments from CPLP member states, have confirmed attendance at the 14th AP-CPLP. The two-day gathering will focus on promoting peace, democracy, and good governance within the CPLP.
Mozambique will assume the rotating presidency of the AP-CPLP during the 14th session, to be held at the Joaquim Chissano Conference Center in Maputo, taking over from Equatorial Guinea, with a mandate focused on peace and inclusion.
As clarified by Feliz Sílvia, also head of the parliamentary bench of Mozambique’s ruling party FRELIMO, the country’s two-year presidency will prioritize strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and the implementation of the CPLP mobility agreement. This includes holding regular meetings among members to advance agreements that ease mobility within the CPLP.
Mozambique will also focus on attracting private investment, harmonizing customs and tax rates among member states, and promoting the Portuguese language and CPLP countries’ cultures.
In July 2024, Mozambique hosted the 13th ordinary session of the AP-CPLP under the presidency of Teresa Efua Asangono, president of the Senate of Equatorial Guinea, a country that had expressed difficulty in organizing the annual event.
Founded in 1996, the CPLP comprises nine member states: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste.
Source: Lusa
