Mozambique elections: Other Constitutional Council decisions – CIP Eleições

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Mozambique elections: Other Constitutional Council decisions – CIP Eleições

10:10 CAT | 15 Nov 2019

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Renamo appealed to the CC about Beira, citing ballot box stuffing, exclusion of voters, refusal or polling station heads to receive complaints, blocking party-nominated polling station members, and violence and intimidation. The CC rejected all of these, because they are criminal offenses, not electoral.

In addition, Renamo said the election in Beira should be invalidated because of differences in number of votes in the three elections: President 171.098, Parliament 170.607 (491 fewer) and provincial assembly 171.222 (more than the other two). These differences show that the were illicit actions which influenced the results. The CC did consider this complaint, but concluded that the discrepancies were simply the result of three different elections and did not show any irregularity. (Acordao 16, 8 November)

In a separate complaint to the CC, Renamo protested against widespread misconduct including ballot box stuffing and improprieties in the registration. It also protested the exclusion of its party polling station delegates in Tete. The CC ruled that not enough evidence was submitted to justify annulling the elections. It also sent a copy of the ruling to the Public Prosecutor (Ministerio Publico) to deal with the crimes mentioned. (Acordao 19, 11 November)

Finally, in Alto Molocue, the CC overturned a district tribunal decision that Renamo submitted its protest too late, on 18 October. The CC accepted the Renamo argument that no polling station posted results until the day after voting, 16 October, and thus the submission was within 48 hours. But in consideration of the case, the CC rejected ballot box stuffing claims because those are crimes, not electoral offenses. But it did look at Renamo’s second claim, that there was “a widespread movement in all polling stations in the district, with strong participation of electoral officials, which undermined impartiality and put into question the credibility of the process.” But the CC said Renamo provided no proof of this. (Acodao 15, 4 November)

Source: 2019 General Elections - Mozambique Political Process Bulletin