Mozambique Elections: NGO questions Nyusi’s presence at 20th anniversary of Constitutional Council, before the electoral decision

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Mozambique Elections: NGO questions Nyusi’s presence at 20th anniversary of Constitutional Council, before the electoral decision

9:30 CAT | 09 Nov 2023

Photo: AIM

CIP raises questions on Nyusi’s presence at the CC’s 20th anniversary before the electoral decision

The Centre for Public Integrity (CIP) says that the participation of President Filipe Nyusi in the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Constitutional Council (CC) raises questions, taking into account that it is up to this body to validate the results of the widely contested municipal elections.

“Filipe Nyusi has remained silent regarding the protests and demonstrations caused by suspected manipulation of the electoral results by the party he leads, Frelimo, even in situations that have already resulted in injuries and deaths of people,” the CIP writes. “The head of state however allows himself to participate in a ceremony organised by the CC.”

The CIP understands that “validation and, above all, acceptance of electoral results will depend on the credibility of and conduct adopted by the CC”, and it is therefore “the duty of the Head of State at this sensitive and uncertain time, to refrain from participating in acts such as the aforementioned, being president of a party that competed in the elections that are being contested”.

With regard to the CC, the NGO says that this body must avoid getting involved in situations that place it under suspicion and that could, ultimately, call into question the fairness of the results it should announce.

“The fact that there is a great popular contestation of the intermediate results, with the CC being the last entity that should put an end to the current crisis situation, requires this body to act in such a way that at the end of the process it is not possible to suspect the decision that comes to be taken,” the NGO document that MZNews has had access to reads.

“This desideratum only can be achieved with a different approach to that which was led by the PR and the CC, in the person of the president of the organ, Lúcia Ribeiro. In other words, the celebration of 20 years of the CC could have passed to a later moment, or in the impossibility of this happening, another government figure could have been appointed to preside over the event in representation of [the president], which would not have attracted particular comment.”

During her opening speech at the institution’s 20th anniversary celebration ceremony, the #President of the #Constitutional #Council (CC), Dra. Lúcia Ribeiro, #thanked the #support provided by #UNDP 🇲🇿 through its #Democracy and #Elections project to the CC. 🇳🇴🇨🇦🇪🇸🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/CShC98SkMZ

— UNDP in Mozambique (@UNDPMozambique) November 6, 2023