Repeat elections fixed for 10 December

Maputo, 29 Nov (AIM) – The Mozambican Council of Ministers (Cabinet), at its weekly meeting on Tuesday, fixed Sunday 10 December as the date for repeating the municipal elections in the towns of Marromeu, Nacala, Gurue and Milange.

The Constitutional Council, the country’s highest body in matters of constitutional and electoral law, ordered the repeat elections because fraud in all or some of the polling stations made it impossible to determine who had won in these four towns in the elections held on 11 October.

The worst situation was in Marromeu, in Sofala province, on the south bank of the Zambezi. The electoral frauds practiced in Marromeu had such an influence on the exercise of the popular will at the ballot box, that the Constitutional Council declared the whole election null and void. A new election must thus be held in all 41 Marromeu polling stations, where 29,443 voters are registered

In the northern port city of Nacala, the election must be rerun in 18 polling stations where, according to the Constitutional Council’s figures, 12,893 voters are registered. In Gurue, the election must be repeated at 12 polling stations, where 8,647 voters are registered.

In Milange, only three polling stations must rerun the election. 2,397 voters are registered at these stations.

The Council of Ministers accepted the date of 10 December, which was proposed by the National Elections Commission (CNE), even though it is clearly in breach of the electoral law.

The law states that elections declared null and void must be repeated by the second Sunday after the Constitutional Council’s decision. The decision was taken on Friday 24 November so the second Sunday would be 3 December.

That would have allowed just eight days to organize the repeat elections – the CNE and the government clearly thought this was not enough time. The CNE says it must contact the company Académica, which supplies the voting kits, including the ballot papers, to get the material in place in good time.

To date no attempt has been made to dismiss or otherwise punish the election officials responsible for fraud and irregularities in the four municipalities. The four district elections commissions are still in place and so are the branches of the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE).

Nor is there any sign of recruitment of new polling station staff. There are seven staff members at each polling station. Four are chosen by STAE, supposedly after a public tender (but there is unlikely to be any time for a tender before 10 December). The other three are appointed by the political parties represented in parliament – the ruling Frelimo Party, and the opposition forces, Renamo and the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM).

So unless corrective measures are taken very quickly, the repeat elections could be in the hands of the same people responsible for fraud on 11 October.

(AIM)

Pf/ (478)