Roundup: New Mozambican gov't promises work towards development and inclusion

Mozambique's new government sworn in on Monday in Maputo, promised to comply and to follow with the inspiration of the new President, Filipe Nyusi, to work in order to solve the country's different problems, among them, housing, employment, health and transport.

The new cabinet has 22 ministers and 18 deputy ministers, headed by Carlos Agostinho do Rosario, an economist as prime minister.

Do Rosario was Minister of Agriculture under President Joaquim Chissano in the late 1990s, and also governor of central province of Zambezia, but since then he was appointed as ambassador to Indonesia, East Timor, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

In his speech after the ceremony, Nyusi said that the actions of the new members of the government should be towards bringing confidence of the Mozambicans and they should fight corruption and impunity in the public sector.

Nyusi listed the tasks of the new government, giving emphasis to the need to develop the country's economy, reduction of employment, improve living conditions of the Mozambicans in areas like health, transport, water and sanitation.

He said that the natural resources should benefit first the Mozambicans. "This is not an exaggerated nationalism, but the Mozambicans must be the owners of the economy," said the Mozambican president, adding that the new government is to produce solutions and not to list problems.

Nyusi reduced the number of ministries from 27 to 22, fulfilling a promise made during his inaugural speech last week.

"The government I shall set up and lead will be a practical and pragmatic government," he said.

The new government has five women ministers and eight women deputy ministers, and the key appointment is of Pedro Couto as Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy. Until now deputy finance minister, he has a high reputation for integrity and independent thinking.

Two key ministers retain their posts, namely Oldemiro Baloi as foreign minister and Jose Pacheco as head of an expanded Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Pacheco is a member of the Frelimo Political Commission, and his retention is reported as one of a number of appointments where Nyusi has carefully balanced interest groups within Frelimo.

Nyusi repeated promises in his inaugural speech last week that he will follow policies of "inclusion" and "dialogue."

However, the spokesperson of the leader of the main opposition Renamo, Antonio Muchanga told journalists on Monday that his party is disappointed as Nyusi didn't include any opposition member in his government. As such, Renamo is meeting its members including the 89 elected MP's in Caia, central Sofala province on Tuesday to decide on future steps after Nyusi have appointed his government.

On his turn, the leader of Renamo, Afonso Dhlakama refused to recognize the new government and gave on Saturday to the ruling Frelimo party a week to meet his demands.

Speaking at a Saturday rally, in the western city of Tete, Dhlakama claimed that "half a dozen communists of Frelimo are dictating the future of 25 million Mozambicans." A banner saying "Welcome President of the Centre and North of Mozambique" could be seen amongst the participants.

Dhlakama's main demand is for the formation of a "caretaker government" in which both Frelimo and Renamo will appoint ministers. If such a government is not formed, then he has threatened to set up his own government in those central and northern provinces where he won a majority of the vote in last October's presidential election. Endi