Mozambique Elections: Simango calls for forensic audit or repeat election

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Mozambique Elections: Simango calls for forensic audit or repeat election

1:36 CAT | 25 Oct 2024

Photo: O País

Presidential candidate Lutero Simango has accused Frelimo of “manipulating the results”, alleging that the ruling party illegally appointed polling station presidents to its benefit.

Simango stated that it is the Constitutional Council’s responsibility to “restore legality”, indicating that he is carrying out of what he called a “forensic audit” as an alternative solution.

Presidential candidate Lutero Simango, supported by the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), said this Thursday that the election results were “forged in the secretariat”, and promised “political and legal action” to restore the “will of the people”.

“These are administrative results, forged in the secretariat: they do not reflect the will of the people and the true expression of the voters at the polls. (…) That is why we will combine political and legal action so that the results can reflect the will of the voters,” Simango said following the announcement of the results by the National Elections Commission (CNE), which still have to be validated by the Constitutional Council.

The presidential candidate accused the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) of manipulating the results, stressing that the ruling party illegally appointed polling station presidents to its own advantage.

“In the face of this manipulation, these results cannot be accepted, which is why we said that there is a deficit of electoral justice and that we have two alternatives: either restoring legality or mobilizing widespread revolt as is being seen in the city of Maputo,” said Simango.

In the same public statement, Simango stated that it was the responsibility of the Constitutional Council to “restore legality,” indicating as an alternative solution the carrying out of what he called a “forensic audit.”

“The ballots from all polling stations must be checked against the respective minutes [editais] and notices [actas] and, based on this, they can be compared with what is inside the ballot boxes,” Simango said. “Or else, the most sensible thing to do is to repeat the elections,” he added, pointing out that the “use of force” to impose oneself against the “popular will” generates violence.

Renamo cries foul

In turn, the election representative [mandatário] of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), Geraldo Carvalho, said that no “lucid” Mozambican would be capable of accepting the announced results, accusing Frelimo of committing fraud.

“Who would accept something like that? This is playing with the people, it is pushing the people towards a one-party system. After everything we have seen, the ballot boxes being violated, there are several videos and images that confirm that ballots were stuffed for a certain candidate and party,” the Renamo leader pointed out.

Frelimo ‘s gratitude

Meanwhile, Frelimo thanked Mozambicans for casting their votes for itself and its presidential candidate Daniel Chapo.

“It is without a doubt a moment of joy, but also one of great responsibility. We would like to say that we will wait for the next phase, but we cannot fail to express our joy, especially our gratitude for the vote that was cast for our party and our candidate,” declared Frelimo election representative Verónica Macamo, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The CNE’s results

On Thursday, the CNE announced the victory of Daniel Chapo, supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) in the election for President of the Republic on October 9, with 70.67% of the votes.

Venâncio Mondlane, supported by the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos, an extra-parliamentary party), came in second place, with 20.32% (1,412,517 votes).

In third place was Ossufo Momade, president of Renamo, previously the largest opposition party, with 403,591 votes (5.81%), followed by Lutero Simango, president of MDM, with 223,066 votes (3.21%).

Only 43.48% of the more than 17.1 million registered voters cast their ballots in this election.

The general elections of October 9 included the seventh presidential elections – in which the current head of state, Filipe Nyusi, who has reached the limit of two terms, has not run – simultaneously with legislative elections and elections for provincial assemblies and governors.

The announcement of the results made on Thursday by the CNE comes on the first of two days of general strike and demonstrations across the country called by candidate Venâncio Mondlane against this year’s electoral process, which is being marked by clashes between protesters and the police on the main avenues of the Mozambican capital.

Source: Lusa