Deputada do Parlamento Europeu, da Espanha e Observadora Chefe da Missão de Observação Eleitoral da União Europeia, Laura Ballarín Cereza. Foto de Carlos Júnior
Maputo, 22 Oct (AIM) – The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), in its latest statement on the Mozambican general elections held on 9 October, says the observers “were prevented from observing vote tabulation in some districts and provinces, as well as at national level”.
Such obstruction is a violation of Mozambican election legislation, as well as of the promises given to the observation missions.
Despite the obstruction, the EU observers, says the statement, “noted irregularities during counting and unjustified alteration of election results at polling station and district level”.
Nonetheless, the EU EOM “reiterates its call to the electoral bodies to conduct the tabulation in a transparent and credible manner, ensuring the traceability of polling station results”.
Cited in the statement, the Chief Observer, Laura Ballarin said “The publication of results disaggregated by polling station is not only a matter of good practice, but also a strong safeguard for the integrity of results”.
However, to date the National Elections Commission (CNE) has not released any polling station results.
The statement adds that “in view of the social tensions and election-related violence witnessed in recent days, the EU EOM reiterates its condemnation of the killings of Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe, and wishes to call for utmost constraint by all and for the respect for fundamental freedoms and political rights”.
Elvino Dias was the lawyer for independent presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, and Paulo Guambe was an election agent for the Podemos party, which supported Mondlane’s presidential bid. They were shot dead in central Maputo on Friday night.
The EU EOM points out that “it is the responsibility of the electoral administration to clarify the irregularities, and of the Constitutional Council to address them during validation of the results”.
The EU EOM will remain in the country observing the next stages, including the declaration of the results.
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