Mozambique’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) has called on the Public Prosecutor’s Office to prosecute ‘criminal’ electoral offences that are taking place in the campaign for the general elections.
‘We are also concerned about the occurrence of some offences that go beyond the electoral forum and are criminal in nature, which is why we are calling on the Public Prosecutor’s Office to take criminal action,’ said Paulo Cuinica, spokesman for the National Electoral Commission (CNE) on Saturday (07.09).
Cuinica was speaking at a press conference to take stock of two weeks of campaigning for the general elections on 9 October.
‘As the campaign unfolds, these offences can also multiply and tarnish a campaign that is intended to be peaceful and orderly,’ he said.
The CNE spokesperson condemned the use of violence-inciting language by some political forces, emphasising that the electoral process should be peaceful and orderly.
Political propaganda in prohibited places
‘Some candidates have not used moderate language and show a tendency to incite violence, with insults mixed in,’ said Paulo Cuinica.
Cuinica also criticised the presence of children and teenagers at election campaign events, as well as young people who are drunk and under the influence of drugs.
The contenders, he continued, have also been using political propaganda material in places prohibited by law and transporting their activists and supporters in inappropriate vehicles, which has already resulted in road accidents.
The CNE spokesman praised the balance with which the media has treated the candidates, but warned against the spread of false information about political parties on social media.
Despite the aforementioned incidents, the campaign for the general elections has generally been running smoothly, added Paulo Cuinica.
Filipe Nyusi condemns ‘small disturbances’ in the campaign
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi today called for ‘small disturbances’ in the campaign for the general elections on 9 October not to escalate, pointing out that, in general, the process has been carried out with ‘civility and urbanity’
‘We congratulate the voters and contestants for their civility and urbanity in the campaign and we hope that the small disturbances we have heard about will be eliminated,’ said Nyusi.
The Mozambican head of state was speaking during a speech marking the 50th anniversary of the Lusaka Accords, signed on 7 September 1974 between the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) and the then Portuguese colonial government, which led to the national independence of the African country on 25 June 1975.
The Mozambican head of state urged voters to head to the polls en masse for the general elections on 9 October. More than 17 million voters are registered to vote, including 333,839 registered abroad, according to official figures.
DW
