Mozambique: Américo Letela appointed Attorney General of the Republic
Mozambique Elections: Frelimo says will respect court decisions – Watch
10:48 CAT | 17 Oct 2023
Screen grab: Frelimo Moçambique on Youtube
Frelimo, the party in power in Mozambique, said on Monday (16) that it will respect the decisions taken by the courts in face of legal challenges to the sixth local elections in Mozambique, criticizing an alleged manipulation of public opinion by the opposition that rejects the results of the vote.
“We respect the decisions of the institutions, as long as they are based on the law (…) There are powers that have the capacity to judge the questions that are raised and, if Frelimo has a question it needs to raise, it will resort to the legally established mechanisms “, secretary general of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), Roque Silva, told a press conference yesterday, after a meeting of the Frelimo Political Commission had been held at the party’s Maputo headquarters.
At issue are the annulments, by courts, of the October 11 elections in at least two municipalities, namely Cuamba, in the province of Niassa, and Chokwé, in the province of Gaza, following complaints from opposition parties about irregularities in the voting.
In Cuamba, the District Judicial Court annulled the local elections alleging “there was a defect that affected the result”, as more than 6,000 voters were “prevented from voting”, while in Chokwé the judges justified the annulment of the ballot due to the fact that the New Democracy party (extra-parliamentary) was “prevented from monitoring the vote”.
Although recognising “some irregularities”, the secretary general of the party in power in Mozambique declared that the sixth local elections in the country had “reinforced democracy”.
“We also saw voting ballots or two or three voter cards that were in the possession of members of opposition parties. But these are issues that the institutions themselves will know how to deal with responsibly. What we want are free, fair and transparent elections” , declared Roque Silva.
The general secretary of the party in power since independence in Mozambique (1975) also appealed to society to refrain from initiatives that disturb public order and tranquillity, warning of an alleged attempt to manipulate public opinion carried out by opposition forces.
“In cases where irregular acts are proven, Frelimo will follow the appropriate legal procedures, with other parties expected to do the same, without having to resort to acts of violence”, added Roque Silva.
CIP Mozambique Elections: Courts force 2 new elections and transparency
The sixth municipal elections in Mozambique took place in 65 municipalities across the country on Wednesday, including 12 new municipalities, which went to vote for the first time.
Source: Lusa / Frelimo Moçambique on Youtube
Show comments
Also read
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.