“Votar Moçambique” concerned about rejection of Maputo candidates

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“Votar Moçambique” concerned about rejection of Maputo candidates

2:02 CAT | 27 Aug 2018

Photo: DW

The rejection by the National Election Commission (CNE) of two candidates in the Maputo Municipal Council election is provoking debate and differing interpretations regarding the evaluation of candidates.

The CNE has excluded Renamo’s head of list, Venâncio Mondlane, as well as the civil society organisation AJUDEM’s candidate Samora Machel Júnior, son of the first President of independent Mozambique. The two proposing organisations have expressed their opposition to the decision, which they claim is political, and are expected to appeal to the Constitutional Council.

On Friday (24.08), a joint platform of civil society organisations “Votar Moçambique” [“To Vote Mozambique”] declared at a press conference that this controversial subject may have potential implications for achieving peace, social stability and citizen participation.

The platform, which brings together six organisations working for participatory and transparent electoral processes, argues that the Constitutional Council should deliberate with due consideration on this and other matters which might give rise to electoral litigation, in order to safeguard the country’s higher interests.

“Votar Moçambique” coordinator Aquílcia Joaquim, said that the platform would like the municipal elections to reduce the level of conflict, and for Mozambique no longer to be known as a country which always had pre- and post-electoral conflict.

Joaquim said it was important for the Constitutional Council to look at the whole issue of social justice and transparent and inclusive electoral processes when considering the appeals.

“Citizens had a range of options to exercise their citizenship power and when we begin to restrict this power of choice, the process begins to become less compelling, less appealing to the citizen. What we are going to see is a lot of abstention,” said Joaquim.

To give parties a leading role

Baltazar Fael of the Public Integrity Centre (CIP), another of the organisations affiliated to the platform, said that, when analysing the decision of the CNE, the Constitutional Council should take into account the need to involve the main players in the electoral process , in particular citizens and political parties.

“The truth is that the CNE has been a protagonist in all electoral processes in Mozambique, when bodies such as this one are created precisely to manage how this process should take place,” Fael noted.

He expects “the Constitutional Council to not only look at the aspects of legality,” but also seek to contribute to “the social peace we all hope to achieve at this moment”, said Fael, referring to the Renamo peace process.

The CIP representative added that there were already complaints from the largest opposition party and citizens who disagreed with the CNE decisions.

Source: Deutsche Welle