Mozambique: EU deploys election observers – AIM report

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Mozambique: EU deploys election observers – AIM report

9:46 CAT | 16 Sep 2019

Photo: Noticias

The European Union on Saturday deployed 32 long term election observers, who left Maputo for the other ten provincial constituencies.

The head of the EU observer mission, Nacho Sanchez Amor, who is a Spanish member of the European Parliament, told a Maputo press conference that the Mozambican government had invited the EU to send the mission.

The EU has observed all Mozambican general elections since the first multi-party elections held in 1994.
Sanchez Amor noted that the elections scheduled for 15 October “are taking place in a context of important changes in the country’s administrative structure, particularly the decentralisation of fundamental aspects of governance”.

He was referring to the direct election, for the first time, of provincial governors. Up until now, provincial governors have been appointed by the President of the Republic. But as from these elections, whoever heads the list that wins a majority in the Provincial Assembly will become the governor.

The goal of the EU mission, said Sanchez Amor, “is to contribute positively to a credible, transparent and inclusive election”.

He added that the mission “will continue our work with the Mozambican authorities to implement the recommendations of previous Election Observation Missions”.

Before departing for the provinces, the long term observers attended a three day training session in Maputo. In addition, eight EU specialists arrived in Maputo on 31 August, the day the election campaign began.

Shortly before polling day, a further 76 Short Term Observers will arrive, Members of the diplomatic missions in Maputo of EU member states, and a delegation from the European Parliament will strengthen the mission.
Sanchez Amor said that on polling day the EU will have more than 150 observers throughout the country.

There will be 20,162 polling stations in the 11 provincial constituencies. Asked how many of these the EU mission could cover, Sanchez Amor said he hoped the observers could visit around 1,000. The number observed would be “statistically sufficient”.

Asked about the threat by the main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, that implementation of its peace agreement with the government depends on the outcome of the elections, Sanchez Amor declared “elections are a right of the people. They are not the property of the political parties, and should not be held hostage to the agenda of any party”.

The Observer Mission, he promised, will act “in an independent and neutral manner, and its observers are bound by a code of conduct that is ruled by international election observation norms”.

Its task was “to observe and analyse the entire electoral process”, and Sanchez Amor pledged it will remain in Mozambique until the results are announced.

After the elections the Mission will present a preliminary statement with its first conclusions. Some weeks after the elections, the Mission intends to publish its final report, containing its conclusions and possible recommendations for future improvements.

Source: AIM