Mozambique Isolated incidents in local elections got due treatment – president

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Mozambique Isolated incidents in local elections got due treatment – president

9:04 CAT | 21 Dec 2023

Photo: Presidente Filipe nYusi/Facebook

Mozambican president Filipe Nyusi said in parliament on Wednesday that the “isolated irregularities” recorded in the local elections deserved due treatment, considering that no democracy is perfect.

“Despite the irregularities and isolated offences reported, which deserved due legal treatment, all the contestants had the opportunity to present their manifestos,” said Filipe Nyusi, during his annual State of the Nation address in parliament.

At issue are the complaints raised by opposition parties and civil society about alleged “mega-fraud” in the 11 October ballot, where the ruling party Frelimo was proclaimed by the Constitutional Council (CC) as the winner in 56 local councils, against the previous 64 announced by the National Electoral Commission (CNE).

In the same ballot, the CC proclaimed Renamo, the main opposition force, as the winner of four, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) as the winner of one council, and the vote was repeated in another four.

For Nyusi, despite the “isolated irregularities”, the ballot revealed the evolution of the electoral justice bodies.

“In no country in the world is democracy perfect,” he emphasised.

The Mozambican head of state also said that the police, accused by the opposition of having favoured the ruling party in various circumstances during the elections, had been forced to act in the face of “occasional cases and incitement to violence”.

“We are a nation still under construction and the consolidation of the rule of law requires a critical and permanent evaluation, without emotions,” said Filipe Nyusi, considering that the country should, on the basis of this vote, learn lessons for next year’s general elections.

Next year’s general elections in Mozambique will cost the state coffers around 6.5 billion meticais ( €96.3 million), according to the government’s allocation in the proposed 2024 state budget.

The next presidential, parliamentary, provincial assembly and provincial governor elections will be held simultaneously throughout the whole country on a single day: 9 October.

Source: Lusa