
Presidente da mesa de votação dando coordenadas aos utentes. Foto de Carlos Júnior
Maputo, 10 Oct (AIM) – In Wednesday’s Mozambican general elections, 60 per cent of the polling stations observed by the “Mais Integridade” (“More Integrity”) coalition of civil society observers closed on time, at 18.00.
The remainder stayed open, since they still had queues of voters at their door. The provinces with most citizens still waiting to vote were Gaza, Nampula, Manica and Maputo province.
In most of these stations, the voters in the queue were allowed to vote, but in some (in Gaza, Nampula and Niassa) they were illegally denied this right. The law is clear – anyone in the queue at 18.00 must be allowed to vote.
In 82 per cent of the polling stations observed, the observers and political party monitors could accompany the close of voting and the count. But in one polling station in the central city of Quelimane, an unidentified official from STAE (Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat) ordered the station chairperson to expel the “Mais Integridade” observers. In Tete province, STAE officials threatened a “Mais Integridade” observer with kidnapping, while in Mandimba district, in Niassa, two Podemos monitors were detained by the police so that they could not witness the start of the count.
Even as the voting was winding down, clear instances of fraud were discovered. In one polling station in Caia district, in the central province of Sofala one MMV was caught in possession of 14 ballot papers marked in advance in favour of Frelimo.
The public reacted by attacking all the MMVs, and the police had to intervene and take them to safety. Clashes followed between political party monitors and the police, forcing the polling station to close, although it reopened for the start of the count at 18.00.
(AIM)
Pf/ (293)