Mozambique: Sala da Paz condemns election violence – Watch

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Mozambique: Sala da Paz condemns election violence – Watch

1:47 CAT | 11 Oct 2019

For illustration purposes only. Mogovolas, Nampula province, October 10 2019.[Photo: Sala da Paz]

Although much of Mozambique’s election campaign, now drawing to a close, passed off peacefully, it was marred by acts of violence “with a heavy toll in terms of human lives and injuries and the destruction of public and private property”, according to the election observation coalition, the Sala da Paz (Peace Room), giving its final summary of the campaign.

At a Thursday press conference in Maputo, Sala da Paz distributed a statement, saying that since the beginning of the campaign 4 people have died and 59 have been injured. These figures do not include accidental deaths which occurred mainly in traffic accidents.

There were also 19 cases in which houses and buildings such as political party offices were set on fire or vandalised.

There were particular problems in the southern province of Gaza. In almost all Gaza districts, Sala da Paz noted, opposition parties were fearful of campaigning because they had received threats that they would be physically attacked, and their members were harassed even for the simple wearing of an opposition T-shirt.

The statement said that, in the Gaza district of Mapai, members of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) chose to do their flyposting at night, for fear that if they put up their posters during the day they would be seen and attacked. Across Gaza attempts were made to sabotage the campaigns of the two opposition presidential candidates, Davis Simango of the MDM and Ossufo Momade of Renamo.

Sala da Paz praised the police for providing protection for political party motorcades in those parts of the northern province of Cabo Delgado that have been affected by acts of terrorism, undertaken by insurgents inspired by Islamic fundamentalism.

Nonetheless, Sala da Paz feared that 40 polling stations will be unable to open in the Cabo Delgado districts of Palma, Mocimboa da Praia and Nangade.

The statement noted with concern attempts by the ruling Frelimo Party to deny access by opposition parties to public spaces. Frelimo simply booked the public grounds for days or even weeks in advance, thus preventing the opposition from holding events there. This abuse was particularly noted in the Cabo Delgado district of Montepuez and in Alto Molocue, in Zambezia.

This monopolisation of public spaces by Frelimo is in clear violation of the electoral law which states that, during election campaigns, public spaces and buildings shall be shared out equitably among the candidates.

There were also cases of Frelimo using public assets, such as government vehicles, for its campaign, and holding campaign events inside public institutions, thus compromising their normal operations. This too is specifically banned by the law.

Sala da Paz also protested at the failure (or refusal) of the electoral bodies to issue credentials to observers from civil society. There have been enormous difficulties in securing credentials, particularly in the two largest provincial constituencies, Nampula and Zambezia.

In Nampula alone, member organisations of Sala da Paz submitted over 30 applications for observer credentials. Weeks later they had received no reply, even though the election law says that a reply to requests for credentials must be given within five days.

Sala da Paz warned that this is “a matter of great concern” which calls the transparency of the elections into question.

The statement expressed revulsion at the assassination last Monday in the Gaza provincial capital, Xai-Xai, of Anastacio Matavel, the Sala da Paz focal point in Gaza, by a death squad consisting mainly of members of the police force.

Matavel, the statement said, had been killed by precisely the people from whom election observers expect protection.

“This assassination intimidates us and leaves observers in a situation of vulnerability”, it added. “The silence of the presidential candidates faced with this murder shocks us, because they say they are defending human rights”.

Sala da Paz pledged that it will continue to work for democracy and electoral transparency. It demanded that those who ordered the murder of Matavel must be identified and brought to justice.

Source: AIM