Mozambique: Opposition ‘won’t recognise’ electoral roll unless ‘corrected’

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Mozambique: Opposition ‘won’t recognise’ electoral roll unless ‘corrected’

7:03 CAT | 31 May 2023

FILE - "What is happening with this voter registration is an organised disorganisation. That is why Renamo will not recognise the results of this registration unless there is an immediate correction of the gross irregularities," said Viana Magalhaes, head of the Renamo parliamentary bench. [File photo: Lusa]

Mozambique’s main opposition party Resistência Nacional Moçambicana (Renamo) said on Wednesday that it “will not recognise the results of the voter registration” for the 11 October local elections unless there is an “immediate correction” of irregularities in the voter register”.

“What is happening with this voter registration is an organised disorganisation. That is why Renamo will not recognise the results of this registration unless there is an immediate correction of the gross irregularities,” said Viana Magalhaes, head of the Renamo parliamentary bench.

Magalhães was speaking during the closing speech of the seventh session of the ninth legislature of Mozambique’s parliament.

“We demand the immediate correction of the irregularities and the extension of registration for another 30 days so that every citizen with a right to vote residing in the respective municipality can register on the electoral roll,” he stressed.

The leader of the main opposition party’s bench accused electoral bodies of favouring the registration of voters who are members of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) and of not holding officials involved in electoral crimes accountable.

Viana Magalhaes did not clarify whether the non-recognition of the result of the voter register would imply a boycott of the next local elections by his party.

Frelimo leader Sérgio Pantie said he was “concerned about the electoral crimes and the slowness” that had been reported “in some registration posts”.

Pantie called on the “competent authorities” to ensure that the voter registration “is swift” to ensure that “all citizens aged 18 and over can exercise their right”.

The ruling party’s chief whip also accused unknown people of “assaulting Frelimo inspectors” at registration posts to prevent them from accompanying the registration of voters.

The third largest party, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), accused the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) of lacking professionalism, integrity and political independence in the way it is conducting the voter registration process for the municipal elections.

STAE’s stance has created “an environment of total distrust, disorder, disarray, and non-compliance with the law,” said Lutero Simango, head of the MDM parliamentary bench.

Simango pointed to the illegal registration of voters living outside districts with municipalities, the existence of priority queues for registration and the allocation of insufficient voter registration equipment in areas with a favourable electoral turnout for the opposition as examples of irregularities allegedly promoted by STAE.

Voter registration ends on 3 June and foresees the registration of around 10 million voters in the country’s 65 municipalities.

Source: Lusa