Mozambique elections: STAE and observers confirm rocky start to registration – Hanlon

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Mozambique elections: STAE and observers confirm rocky start to registration – Hanlon

11:21 CAT | 25 Apr 2019

File photo: Pinnacle News

Only 75% of the target of 1.25 million voters was registered in the first week, admitted STAE (Election Technical Secretariat; Secretariado Tecnico da Administracao Eleitoral) in a press conference yesterday afternoon. STAE cited exactly the problems cited in previous issues of this bulletin – no electricity, repeated failures of the registration equipment, inadequate training of staff, and damage caused by cyclone Idai.

And domestic observers in a press conference yesterday morning found that only 84% of registration posts were working properly, and its survey excluded the parts of Manica and Sofala affected by the cyclone and the parts of Cabo Delgado affected by violence.

Nationally there are 5096 registration brigades and STAE reported that more than 11% are paralysed or only partially functioning, including 200 in Sofala, 321 in Zambezia, and 34 in Gaza. STAE hopes to register 17% of the target 7,341,736 people during each of the 6 weeks of registration, but in the first week it hit only 5.8% in Sofala and 8.9% in Zambezia (both of which are opposition areas, raising complaints from Renamo – read the report HERE.)

STAE is open about its initial failures, including:

“weak knowledge of the mobile ID by the brigade members” – in effect caused by too little hands-on training;

“delays in delivering solar panels”;

“breakdowns of printers and other components of the mobile ID” registration kit; and

“disappearance of toner and registration forms”.

STAE says these problems were “promptly resolved” by its technicians, but our correspondents disagree. STAE promises that all solar panels will be distributed this week. It also says 700 more brigade members are being trained this week.

STAE points to the “armed attacks in Mocimboa da Praia and Palma in Cabo Delgado”. Domestic observers also note the reluctance of people there to register because of the “insurgency”; people are supposed to register near where they live, but many people have fled their home areas to avoid violence.

Nevertheless, STAE also reported that Cabo Delgado had the highest registration, with 22% of possible voters registering in the first week.

Source: 2019 General Elections - Mozambique Political Process Bulletin