Mozambique pass amnesty bill eyeing lasting peace
MAPUTO, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Mozambique's parliament on Monday passed an amnesty bill that will pardon all criminal acts committed against the State as part of the government commitment to honor the deals with the main opposition party, Renamo, in the peace negotiation process.
"It has been proven necessary for political stability and the guarantee of an effective and long-lasting peace and ensuring mutual trust between the parts and for national reconciliation, the proposition of an amnesty law to eliminate the responsibility of all who may have committed acts that are punished by the penal law," said Minister of Justice, Religious and Constitutional Affairs Joaquim Verissimo at the Assembly of the republic.
The law was submitted to parliament as an initiative of President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi with the aim of achieving effective, lasting and definitive peace, reconciliation among Mozambicans, and the strengthening and consolidation of national unity.
The amnesty law is the second to be approved in less than five years. The first law was approved in August 2014 as an initiative of the former president of the country, Armando Guebuza.
The first law was approved on the edge of the ceasefire agreement signed by Guebuza and late leader of main opposition Afonso Dhlakama early in September.
According to the proposal, presented by Verissimo, the pardon referred in the law is granted on the condition that the beneficiary does not repeat or commit any of the crimes covered by this standard.
"The proposed Amnesty Law is for citizens who in the context of military hostilities, have committed crimes against state security, military and related, against the external and internal security of the state and against public order," said the justice minister.
Some members of Renamo publicly announced that they would not fulfill their part of the bargain if the process is led by their democratically elected leader Ossufo Momade and threatened to boycott the process.
The party leadership announced that despite internal disagreement the commitments for the peace process final agreements remain as initially proposed.