"The political commission has called for the 1st Extraordinary Session of the Frelimo Central Committee to be held on May 3rd at the party's Central School, in the city of Matola, Maputo province", reads the statement from that body, which met today in Maputo under the leadership of Frelimo president and head of state, Filipe Nyusi.

The 24th weekly meeting of the political commission aimed to "analyze the country's current political, economic and socio-cultural situation" and the statement does not yet advance the agenda of the extraordinary Central Committee of May 3rd.

However, Frelimo president Filipe Nyusi announced on April 6th that the party's political commission will present the list of candidates to succeed him as President of the Republic to the Central Committee in the coming days.

"The political commission will submit to the Central Committee the proposals for Frelimo's candidacies for President of the Republic as soon as possible, taking into account the electoral calendar", said Filipe Nyusi, citing the statutes, in the closing speech of the two days of the third ordinary session of the Frelimo Central Committee, the party that has led the country since independence.

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

The current President of the Republic and of Frelimo is constitutionally prevented from running again for head of state because he is currently serving his second term, after being elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019.

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

"Frelimo is a sexagenarian party, mature, that knows how to conduct its processes of transformation and adaptation to the dynamics of each moment in its history, aware that political processes are not static and should not be seen as the previous ones. We hope, as it was deliberated, that within a few days this process will find its conclusion", he said, in the closing speech of the ordinary session of the Central Committee, which started after 9:00 pm local time (8:00 pm in Lisbon) on April 6th, about six hours after previously announced.

The choice of Frelimo's candidate for the general elections of October 9th was not initially on the agenda of this meeting, which took place in Matola, on the outskirts of Maputo, but became the main topic of debate for the highest body between congresses.

"It was emphasized during our work that from now on our main mission is the preparation and organization of Frelimo's victory, and its presidential candidate, in the elections of October 9th, 2024. Therefore, it was clear that today we are organizing ourselves and we are organizing ourselves to win [...]. Do not be surprised when we win, and win well", Nyusi also said.

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