Election results were manipulated – Simango

Maputo, 15 Oct (AIM) – Lutero Simango, the leader and presidential candidate of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), claims that last Wednesday’s presidential, parliamentary and provincial elections were characterized by irregularities, manipulation and violations of the law.

According to Simango, who was speaking on Monday to reporters at a Maputo press conference, “since the results are being manipulated, my party is doing a parallel count and will be able to release it in due course, but right now we can see that some results do not coincide with those presented by the electoral bodies”, he said.

Simango said that his political party will file legal proceedings reporting the irregularities “and then submit the complaints to the competent authorities.”

In particular, Simango accused the director of the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE) in Ribàué district, in the northern province of Nampula, of ordering the arrest of a member of his political party.

“I am very concerned about the arrest of our member in the Ribáuè district, artist José Massaca. He has been detained since 9 October at the behest of the STAE district director. His detention is illegal and constitutes a violation of the law because he has not yet been heard by a magistrate, and there is no case against him”, said Simango.

Last Wednesday’s elections were severely contested by other opposition parties. On Monday, Albino Forquilha, president of PODEMOS (Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique), the party that backs the independent presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, also claimed that the results so far announced are false.
(AIM)
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