Mozambique: CNE challenges members of Zambézia Provincial Elections Commission – Watch

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Mozambique: CNE challenges members of Zambézia Provincial Elections Commission – Watch

9:05 CAT | 30 May 2022

Screen grab: MSTV Zambeze

The deputy chairperson of Mozambique’s National Elections Commission (CNE), Carlos Cauio, has demanded greater responsibility and professionalism from new members of the Provincial Elections Commission (CPE) in the central province of Zambezia.

Cauio, who swore in 15 members of the Zambezia CPE in the provincial capital, Quelimane, on Thursday, said that preparations for the next municipal elections (scheduled for 11 October 2023) is an opportune time to strengthen the efforts of each member of the CPE with a view to holding free, fair, transparent, and credible elections.

He warned that the electoral procedures have specific vicissitudes and complexities, and the new members have to know how to deal with them.

The appointment of the inductees, according to Cauio, is the result of selfless work demonstrated in the construction of the democratic rule of law, which provides a guarantee that CNE can count on their knowledge, dedication and professionalism.

“A sense of mission also requires knowing clearly where they are and where they are going, and what they need to get there in order to get there”, he said.

Cauio called for technical rigor with a spirit of alignment, direction, commitment, mutual trust, and teamwork, because if they each act individually, the CPE members will not hold credible elections.

Cauio also said it is not enough to advocate for free, fair, transparent and credible elections – it is necessary to ensure that freedom, fairness, transparency and credibility are imbued within all those active in the process.

The actions of members of electoral bodies, he continued, must be based on the Constitution, and other laws in force “which means acting based on the dictates of the law, and secondly in accordance with your conscience and the requirements of professionalism,” he stated.

Cauio stressed that the role of the body is to ensure the holding of elections and not to facilitate or hinder the election of this or that candidate.

“Therefore, it requires, from all of you, responsibility and commitment to manage the electoral process with a culture of peace, justice, tolerance, dialogue, independence, transparency, and impartiality in making your decisions,” he stressed.

The Secretary of State for Zambezia, Judite Faria, said that establishing the new CPE marks the beginning of the operation of the electoral administration in the province. Its members, she stressed, have a high responsibility to conduct the elections with transparency and justice.

“In your actions, always bear in mind that you represent the province and not the organizations you come from,” said Faria, adding that the members must play a valuable role in ensuring the participation of citizens and respect for the will of the people as expressed at the ballot box.

Faria said that the dynamics of the electoral process will require from the newly sworn-in members a spirit of sacrifice for the sake of the motherland.

“Knowing that we are one year away from the next elections there is one more challenge to be considered, which is to fight against abstention,” she said.

Mozambican election bodies are large, unwieldy and deeply politicised. Each provincial elections commission has 15 members. Six are appointed by the three parties represented in parliament – the ruling Frelimo Party appoints three, the main opposition party, Renamo, appoints two, and the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) appoints one.

The remaining nine members come from civil society bodies. But the nominations from civil society pass through the filter of the political parties, so they too are essentially political nominees.