Maputo, 6 May (AIM) – The General Director of Mozambique’s Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), Lolo Correia, has denied that there was any clandestine registration of voters in the municipality of Gurue, in the central province of Zambezia.
Cited in Saturday’s issue of the independent daily “O Pais”, he claimed it was all just “a misunderstanding”.
A video circulating on social media showed registration brigade members printing cards at dead of night, in a STAE warehouse, in violation of the legal requirement that voter cards can only be printed at the registration posts, during their normal hours of operation (08.00 to 16.00).
Correia tried to explain the irregularity by claiming that “the brigade members at one of the voter registration posts had difficulties in printing cards for some voters because the printers were dirty and needed rapid maintenance. But since some people had already registered – that is their data was already in the computer system, so that they could have their cards printed – the agreement was that the cards would be printed, but in the warehouse, where the equipment went for maintenance”.
“This procedure was coordinated with the owners of the cards”, added Correia. “After the cleaning, the situation of the printers was normalized. The cards were printed and delivered to their legitimate owners, as had been agreed”. Correia said that all the voters involved were now in possession of their cards.
He recognized that there had been failings, in that the STAE brigade members did not interact with the monitors of the political parties, “hence this misunderstanding, which came into public view without a realistic investigation of the matter”.
“I should say that the situation occurred because the brigade members were still adapting to the equipment”, added Correia. “Right now, everything is normalized and is running as smoothly as possible”.
(AIM)
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