Mozambique: MDM leader denounces elections as “fraudulent” – AIM

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Mozambique: MDM leader denounces elections as “fraudulent” – AIM

3:25 CAT | 27 Oct 2019

Photo: O País

Daviz Simango, the leader and presidential candidate of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), the country’s second largest opposition party, on Saturday declared that the general and provincial elections held on 15 October were characterised by “fraud, harassment and violence”.

He was speaking in Maputo at the opening of a one day meeting of the MDM Political Commission, called to analyse the elections and take a final position on them.

“These elections were fraudulent”, he said. “They showed us centralisation, authoritarianism and violence”.

With the vote, he added, came “state capture – they have made the way they carry out fraud more sophisticated”.

He named as protagonists of the fraud the polling station staff (MMVs) recruited by STAE (Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat), members of the defence and security forces, and certain national observers.

Simango accused the electoral administration bodies, particularly STAE, of fabricating election results and promoting post-election conflicts. He wanted to see STAE integrated into the National Elections Commission (CNE) and to stop depending on the government hierarchy.

The MDM leader challenged CNE chairperson Abdul Carimo and STAE general director Felisberto Naife to explain how it was possible, throughout the country, for ballot papers to come into the hands of people outside the electoral bodies.

Simango said the level of fraud in these elections was “unprecedented”. The results announced “are not the desire of the people. They’re null and void”.

The Political Commission meeting would now decide the next steps the party should take. Simango promised that the results of the meeting will be announced to the country.

Source: O País