CIP Mozambique Elections: Secret night registration in Iapala

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CIP Mozambique Elections: Secret night registration in Iapala

10:33 CAT | 08 May 2023

The people fled but the equipment, shown in the photo, was confiscated by Renamo. The district director of STAE eventually claimed the equipment, and the issue was only resolved at midnight when the head of police operations arrived and took the machines back to the district command. [Photo: CIP]

After Guruè and Chiure, now it’s Ribáuè

STAE brigade caught red-handed registering people at night in Iapala

Two mobile computers were found being used to register voters at 9pm Saturday (last night), at the residence of the Frelimo party first secretary, in Iapala, 40 km from Ribáuè and far outside the municipality. When they were caught, about 20 voters and the brigade members ran away – as shown in this video.

The two computers that were being used had been taken from Ribauè Sede EPC and Quithele registration posts. In these two posts no one has been registered for a week, allegedly because the equipment is broken, when in fact the computers were moved to other areas for clandestine registration at night.

They were being used to register people outside the municipality but on computers from inside the municipality, allowing these people to vote illegally in municipal elections.

According to the Renamo district delegate and the speaker of the Ribáuè Municipal Assembly, the district director of STAE was present during the clandestine registration. Our Bulletin tried to contact the district director of STAE, but was unsuccessful, as he did not answer our calls.

The brigades withdrew their mobiles at 6pm Saturday (yesterday, 6 May) for another night of registration. But on the way, they bumped into the Renamo team in the Ribáuè market, while they were buying biscuits. Renamo already had information about the night registration. When the brigades realised the Renamo presence, they got into their vehicle and left in the direction of Iapala. But a Renamo team, consisting of the deputy STAE director, a STAE technician, their district delegate and others, jumped on their motorbikes and headed towards Iapala, following the brigade with the two computers.

Renamo had information that the brigade was at the residence of the Frelimo first secretary in Iapala, which is also a guesthouse. The brigade members installed the computers and started to register people, supposedly Frelimo members.

Last Wednesday, our correspondents in Ribáuè reported that the registration post at Ribáuè EPC (primary school) had already been paralysed since Sunday 30 April. Thus for a week there was no registration at Ribáuè EPC. The photo shows the closed post, paralysed by alleged hardware breakdown.

Officially, Frelimo has not yet reacted or responded to requests for information. But the Nampula-based Ikweli newspaper quotes a Frelimo source as threatening to sue those who associate the STAE action with the party.

Source: Centro de Integridade Pública - CIP