Problems in Nampula by-election did not compromise result – USA

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Problems in Nampula by-election did not compromise result – USA

1:51 CAT | 05 Feb 2018

The United States embassy in Mozambique said on Friday that the problems identified in the mayoral by-election in Nampula, northern Mozambique, did not compromise the integrity of the vote.

“Although we observed a number of technical and administrative problems, there was no evidence that the anomalies” could “undermine the fundamental integrity of the elections,” the diplomatic delegation said in a communique on its election observation mission.

“This election seemed to be largely free, fair and credible. The irregularities we observed probably did not materially affect the results,” it added.

The Nampula by-election took place on January 24 as a resulted of the murder of the mayor, Mahamudo Amurane, in October 2017.

Under Mozambique election law, the vote will now go to a second round, since no candidate got more than 50 percent of the vote., despite the fact that nationwide municipal elections are scheduled for October 15 anyway.

For the US, “it will be important for the National Electoral Commission, the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration and other stakeholders, including all political parties, to take into account the lessons learned from this election and to apply them to improve procedures”.

Mozambican civil society observation platforms considered that the quality of the organisation in the Nampula by-election was poor.

The late opening of polling stations caused by lack of material and various problems with the electoral registers were highlighted, organisations further claiming these contributed to the low turnout.

Only a fifth of the approximately 300,000 voters eligible went to the polls in the by-election in the country’s third-largest city.

Source: Lusa