Cabo Delgado to hold municipal elections despite pockets of insecurity

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Cabo Delgado to hold municipal elections despite pockets of insecurity

3:29 CAT | 17 Oct 2022

Photo: Domingo

The Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (CNE), Dom Carlos Matsinhe, assures that preparations are underway for the holding of free, fair and transparent elections in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado, where some districts have been under terrorist attacks since October 2017.

Matsinhe gave his assurance in Maputo, on Friday (15), speaking to reporters shortly after the swearing in ceremony of the new Director-General of the Technical Secretariat of Electoral Administration (STAE), Loló Correia.

There are five (5) municipalities, in Cabo Delgado namely Chiúre, Mocímboa da Praia, Montepuez, Mueda and Pemba.

Although there are still some pockets of insecurity in the province, Matsinhe guarantees that there are studies being carried out, involving both the electoral bodies and the government, to reinforce security during the electoral process.

‘Work on the ground at local level indicates that there are fair conditions for holding elections, but security will have to be reinforced,’ Matsinhe said.

In another development, Matsinhe explained that ‘we have already started a study on the conditions for holding elections in Cabo Delgado, the electoral bodies at provincial level have given some suggestions which need to be looked into further and perhaps need to be discussed with the government in order to take definitive decisions’.

Matsinhe said that with the dates approaching for the start of the pilot voter registration this year and full voter registration, which is scheduled to start on 20 February and end on 5 April 2023, ‘everything is being done with a view to meeting the deadlines’.

‘There must be effective planning of the impact of the voter registration and elections. It is necessary to provide adequate logistical conditions for elections, such as tents, since reconstruction of infrastructures may take some time, even if there was to be lasting stability now’, explained Matsinhe.As for the budget calculated at 2.2 billion meticais (around 34 million US dollars), to cover all the expenses

inherent to the electoral process this year, Matsinhe assured that ‘the sum is already available’. The sum will be used to identify and refurbish

CNE’s facilities, in all provinces, and the acquisition of materials for the pilot voter registration.A military offensive launched by government forces in 2021, with the support of Rwanda and the Southern African Development Community forces, has allowed the government to retake control, and there are now under way several initiatives to rebuild infrastructures.

There are reports of thousands of people returning to their homes thanks to the military operations launched by Mozambique’s Security and Defence Forces with the support of its partners.

According to official estimates terrorist attacks have caused over 3,000 deaths and at least 900,000 internally displaced people in Cabo Delgado, triggering a humanitarian crisis.

Source: AIM