VZCZCXRO1676
RR RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR
DE RUEHTO #0668 1590613
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 080613Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5496
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000668 
 
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SIPDIS 
 
AF/S FOR HTREGER 
MCC FOR SGUALL 
NSC FOR CCOURVILLE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KCOR PGOV PREL MZ
SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE: FRELIMO A NO-SHOW AT AFRICAN 
PARLIAMENTARIANS NETWORK AGAINST CORRUPTION SEMINAR 
 
REF: A. MAPUTO 650 
 
     ¶B. MAPUTO 573 
 
Sensitive but unclassified - please handle accordingly. Not 
for internet distribution. 
 
¶1. (U) The African Parliamentarians Network Against 
Corruption (APNAC) held its third regional anti-corruption 
training seminar in Maputo on May 22-23.  This regional 
forum, which was supported by both the Canadian and Danish 
development agencies, aimed to strengthen the capacity of 
African parliamentarians to fight corruption and promote good 
governance.  The event also served as the launch of 
Mozambique's APNAC chapter, which is headed by National 
Assembly deputy Eduardo Namburete of the opposition RENAMO-UE 
coalition. 
 
¶2. (U) The forum was attended by 30 parliamentarians from 
Lusophone Africa, including members of Angola's MPLA and 
UNITA political parties and more than a dozen RENAMO 
deputies.  APNAC President, Augustiane Rizindana of Senegal, 
also attended the two-day session.  Markedly absent, however, 
were deputies from the ruling FRELIMO party.  Minister in the 
Presidency for Parliamentary Affairs Isabel Kavandeka, who 
reportedly had been slated to open the day's events, did not 
show up either, though the opening was delayed several hours 
in hopes that she would make an appearance.  She never did. 
 
¶3. (SBU) During a May 31 meeting with the acting DCM, 
Namburete said that FRELIMO purposefully boycotted the 
seminar because it was perceived as a RENAMO-driven 
initiative.  FRELIMO, however, publicly blamed their absence 
on poor communication by the event's organizers.  Yet staff 
of the Canadian High Commission told poloff on June 7 that, 
in fact, FRELIMO's leadership chose to avoid the corruption 
seminar.  According to the Canadian source, FRELIMO deputies 
did not take part at the instruction of the President of the 
National Assembly, Eduardo Mulembwe, who apparently had taken 
offense at Namburete over a procedural matter in Parliament 
and retaliated by not allowing FRELIMO deputies to attend. 
FRELIMO majority whip Manuel Tome admitted to the Canadians 
in a private meeting that he regretted the party's absence at 
the seminar.  No explanation for Minister Kavandeka's absence 
was ever provided. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Comment: Though it appears to be petty politics at 
play behind FRELIMO's no-show at this pan-African corruption 
event, FRELIMO's absence has some political observers 
wondering in public about the strength of the party's, and by 
extension President Guebuza's, commitment to fight 
corruption.  Post has just released a very critical December 
2005 assessment on Mozambican corruption done by the US 
consulting firm MSI, financed by USAID, on our embassy 
website, which so far has received favorable comment in the 
local press (in March we provided President Guebuza a copy). 
We will look for additional opportunities to press the GRM to 
take steps to act on their anti-corruption rhetoric. 
La Lime