Mozambique: CNE opposed to new municipalities

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Mozambique: CNE opposed to new municipalities

10:01 CAT | 09 Aug 2022

Photo: O País

Mozambique’s National Elections Commission (CNE) has warned the government against creating any new municipalities.

Cited by the independent television station STV, CNE spokesperson Paulo Cuinica said it would not be reasonable to set up new municipalities now, when municipal elections are scheduled for October 2023.

The idea that several more towns could be upgraded to municipal status was announced last month by the Minister of State Administration, Ana Comoana, at a meeting of her Ministry’s Coordinating Council. She had clearly not consulted the CNE about this.

Cuinica said it was “not opportune” to create new municipalities, given the huge financial difficulties faced by the CNE in organising elections in the existing 53.

“It is a little difficult to imagine how we can be thinking of increasing the number of municipalities, at a time when we are having difficulty in holding elections in just 53”, said Cuinica.

Since there was an agreed principle that the number of municipalities should be gradually increased over time, the CNE was prepared for a rise in the number – but not immediately. “We did not expect this recent announcement to be made after the date for the next municipal elections had already been fixed”, said Cuinica.

The possibility of new municipalities had not been included in the budget drawn up by the CNE for the 2023 elections. Last week Cuinica told reporters that the CNE faces a deficit of 2.2 billion meticais (about 34.4 million US dollars, at the current exchange rate) in the funding required to prepare the municipal elections.

He said that 3.2 billion meticais is needed for work that includes installing the CNE’s support bodies in all the provinces and acquiring all the materials needed for voter registration – that includes a pilot voter registration exercise this year, and the full voter registration in all 53 municipalities between 20 February and 5 April next year.

“We are still lacking two thirds of the sum needed for the preparatory activities. We are working with the government to find a way to overcome this situation”, he said.

It would be “very complicated”, if the CNE suddenly had to find resources for an extra ten municipalities (one per province – as happened on the last two occasions the number of municipalities was increased).

As for the security problems in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, plagued by jihadist terrorism, Cuinica admitted that the CNE does not yet have any strategy for how to undertake voter registration in the affected districts.

Only one municipality, Mocimboa da Praia, was occupied by the terrorists, who were driven out of Mocimba da Praia town by Mozambican and Rwandan forces in August 2021. But many Mocimboa da Praia voters, displaced by the terrorist raids, have not yet returned, and are scattered around other districts.

“This is a complex question that goes beyond the electoral bodies”, said Cuinica. “What we hope is that normality is restored in Cabo Delgado as quickly as possible, and particularly in Mocimboa da Praia, where we have to hold the election”.

“We hope the situation is solved quickly”, he added. “In the meantime, we are in contact with the relevant institutions to see how we can deal with the displaced people who belong to Mocimboa da Praia”.

Source: AIM