Mozambique: EU election observers to be deployed in Cabo Delgado

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Mozambique: EU election observers to be deployed in Cabo Delgado

4:36 CAT | 13 Sep 2024

Photo courtesy: MOE UE Moçambique 2024

The European Union (EU) observation mission for the general elections in Mozambique announced on Friday that it will deploy a team in Cabo Delgado, the scene of armed attacks, after assessing the security situation in the province.

“We’re going to deploy a team to stay in Cabo Delgado for these first few weeks,” said Margarida Alves, deputy head of the EU election observation mission.

Margarida Alves was responding to a question from journalists about the deployment of observers in Cabo Delgado province, in the north of the country, at a press conference about the departure today of 32 “long-term” EU observers from the Mozambican capital to the country’s ten provinces.

“The security and presence of our observers on the ground is a priority for the mission, all the deployment of observers is evaluated in the context of the country’s security, particularly for Cabo Delgado,” she said.

That province has been the target of attacks by armed groups since October 2017, some claimed by the extremist group Islamic State, but joint action by Mozambican government troops and foreign forces has succeeded in destroying bases and recovering areas that had been occupied by the rebels.

The 32 observers who left Maputo today are from 16 EU countries and “received very thorough and detailed training on the country’s electoral process and in relation to the political context and legal framework,” added the deputy head of mission.

“They will now go to the provinces to contact the local authorities, civil society and also to monitor the electoral campaign events,” said Margarida Alves.

The team, she continued, will then provide data from their work in the constituencies for a compilation and preliminary statement, which will be presented in Maputo two days after the vote.

“After the elections, we will issue the very complete final report on the electoral process in Mozambique, accompanied also by recommendations to the Mozambique authorities for the improvement of future electoral processes,” declared the deputy head of the EU electoral observation mission.

These 32 “long-term” observers will stay for five weeks in all of Mozambique’s provinces, monitoring the electoral process until the votes are counted, said Margarida Alves.

She also emphasised that 76 “short-term” observers will join their colleagues already in Mozambique.

On Tuesday, the EU electoral observation mission said that its presence in Mozambique could contribute to strengthening transparency in the vote, reiterating impartiality in the process.

“We believe that the presence of our mission and especially the presence of observers on the ground can contribute to strengthening the transparency of the elections, as well as giving greater confidence to voters and actors involved in the electoral process,” said Laura Cereza, head of the mission, during a press conference in Maputo.

She reiterated the independence and impartiality of the observers.

“The European Union’s electoral observation missions are funded exclusively by the budgets of the member countries and act with total independence from the authorities, politicians and national institutions, in this case Mozambique,” emphasised the head of the group of European observers.

Mozambique is holding general elections on 9 October, which include presidential, legislative, provincial assembly and provincial governor elections.

More than 17 million voters are registered to vote, including 333,839 registered abroad, according to official figures.

Running for Ponta Vermelha (the official residence of the head of state in Mozambique) are Daniel Chapo, supported by the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), Ossufo Momade, supported by the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), the largest opposition party, Lutero Simango, supported by the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), the third largest parliamentary force, and Venâncio Mondlane, supported by the extra-parliamentary parties Optimistic People for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos) and Democratic Revolution (RD).

Os 32 observadores a longo prazo (OLP) da Missão de Observação Eleitoral da União Europeia (MOE UE) foram destacados hoje em equipas de duas pessoas para todas as províncias de Moçambique para observar o processo eleitoral no terreno.#observadoreseleitorais #UE pic.twitter.com/ctvVNfcEoj

— MOE UE Moçambique 2024 (@moeueMozambique) September 13, 2024