Mércia Viriato Licá

Mércia Viriato Licá
Member of the Assembly of the Republic
Assumed office
13 January 2020
ConstituencyTete Province
Personal details
BornMércia Viriato Licá
(1997-01-15) January 15, 1997 (age 28)
Political partyFRELIMO
Alma materMaputo Pedagogical University (LLB)
OccupationMember of Parliament
ProfessionLawyer
Politician

Mércia Viriato Licá (born 1996/1997) is a Mozambican lawyer and politician who has been serving as a Member of the Assembly of the Republic since 13 January 2020. When she took office, she became the youngest MP in the country's history. She is a member of the ruling FRELIMO party.

Biography

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Mércia Viriato Licá was born without any upper limbs. Her father abandoned her when she was still young and her mother consequently raised her. In 2019, she obtained a law degree from the Maputo Pedagogical University.[1]

She met President Filipe Nyusi through Facebook and he visited her family home in 2018. She lives with her mother and she performs routine tasks using her feet.[2] In October 2019, she was elected an MP in the general election. She assumed the post in January 2020 and represents the Tete Province.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Newly elected Mozambican MP who lacks upper limbs plans to focus on education". globalvoices.org. 3 February 2020. Archived from the original on 19 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  2. ^ Ndungidi, Patrick (2020-03-25). "Mércia Viriato Licá,23 ans,la plus jeune députée de Mozambique,née sans membres supérieurs". African Shapers (in French). Retrieved 2020-05-20.