Mozambique: Opposition MDM leader demands recount or repeat of general elections

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Mozambique: Opposition MDM leader demands recount or repeat of general elections

4:35 CAT | 08 Nov 2024

File photo: Lusa

The president of Mozambique’s opposition MDM party, Lutero Simango, who was one of the four candidates in last month’s presidential elections, on Friday demanded a recount of all votes or a repeat of the elections, to restore “electoral justice” amid the ongoing protests.

At a press conference in Maputo, the leader of Mozambique’s third largest party stated that only these two solutions would allow for the “credibility” of the electoral process surrounding the strongly contested general elections of October 9.

“Promoting a recount of the votes and comparing them with the notices and minutes [actas and editais] to verify whether the published results actually correspond to the will of the people”, Simango stated, advancing, as an alternative, the possibility of annulling the vote: “Annulment means repeating elections nationwide”.

Lutero Simango also stated, in relation to the violent demonstrations that have been taking place in the country since October, which culminated on Thursday with barricades by protesters, mainly supporters of candidate Venâncio Mondlane, in several areas of the city of Maputo, that the use of force “will only generate more violence”, and called for an “inclusive dialogue”.

“But first, we must resolve the main problem and achieve electoral justice”, SImango stated. “Yes, we will have dialogue. But we need to focus on the problem, which is the electoral problem.,” he insisted.

The announcement by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) of Mozambique on October 24 of the results of the October 9 elections, in which it attributed the victory to Daniel Chapo, supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, the party in power since 1975) in the election for President of the Republic, with 70.67% of the votes, sparked popular protests, called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.

According to the CNE, Mondlane came in second place, with 20.32%, but he stated that he did not recognize the results, which still have to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.

After street protests that paralyzed the country, Mondlane once again called on the population to a seven-day general strike, starting on October 31, with nationwide protests and a demonstration concentrated in Maputo previously called for Thursday, November 7.

Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognize the announced results of the general elections of October 9 in Mozambique, announced on Thursday that the protests will continue until the electoral truth is restored.

“The cause of these demonstrations, which are occurring throughout the country, are the election results in the possession of the Constitutional Council that do not reflect the popular will and the expression of voters at the ballot box. There is a lack of electoral justice (…) This is the feeling of those who went to vote, observed the elections and witnessed the entire process of counting and processing the notices and minutes and their publication”, said Simango.

“This is the fundamental problem, it is the cause of the post-election situation that is being felt in the country, associated with so many other problems, political intolerance, abuse of power, high levels of poverty, cost of living, state capture, kidnappings, high unemployment rates, hunger and so many others”, he concluded.

At least three people were killed and 66 were injured during clashes between protesters and the police on Thursday, the eighth day of the strikes called by Venâncio Mondlane, announced today the Maputo Central Hospital (HCM), the largest hospital in the country.

“Yesterday, the 7th [Thursday] at all our entrances we had a cumulative 138 admissions, of which the adult emergency room had 101 patients. Of the 101 patients, 66 were victims of these demonstrations and the rest were for other reasons”, said the director of the Adult Emergency Service at HCM, Dino Lopes, in statements to the media.

Data presented by the official indicate that at least three people lost their lives on Thursday as a result of the demonstrations.

“Of the 66 injured, 57 were possibly injured by firearms, four by falls, three by physical assault and two were injured by sharp weapons,” added the director of the Adult Emergency Service at HCM.

Source: Lusa