Cyclone, floods and attacks are compromising voter registration in Mozambique – Peace Room

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Cyclone, floods and attacks are compromising voter registration in Mozambique – Peace Room

2:58 CAT | 18 Apr 2019

Photo: O País

Voter registration began on April 15 across Mozambique, and electoral observation platform Sala da Paz (Peace Room) has been watching the process closely since the preparation phase.

Now, three days into the process, the Peace Room says the combined effects of cyclone Idai and floods in the centre of the country and the attacks in Cabo Delgado are compromising voter registration.

In the province of Zambézia, the platform found that 100 (8.74%) of the 1,144 registration posts in the districts of Namacurra, Maganja da Costa, Nicuadala, Quelimane, Pebane, Mocuba, Chinde, Mapeia and Luabo had been destroyed.

In Sofala, in the districts of Búzi, Beira, Dondo, Muanza and Nhamatanda there are 425 registration posts, of which 139 (32.71%) of these were destroyed, making Sofala the worst-affected province.

In Manica, 11 of the 433 registration posts in the districts of Macate, Mossurize and Sussundenga were destroyed (2.54%).

In Tete, the least-affected province, all 425 registration posts in the districts of Macanga and Chifunde are operational.

The Peace Room has no data for Cabo Delgado, but suspects that the attacks there are compromising the voter registration process.

The civil society platform proposes rescheduling voter registration in areas affected by the Cyclone Idai, to prevent citizens being excluded from the process.

The Peace Room found delays in the opening of the registration posts across the country, and posters and pamphlets giving incorrect dates in STAE’s civic education campaign.

By Dário Cossa

Source: O País