The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) said today that the announcement of the results of the 9 October vote by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) ‘did not dispel concerns’ about the ‘transparency’ of the electoral process.
‘The announcement of the results by the CNE has not allayed the EU EOM’s concerns about the transparency of the counting and tabulation process,’ reads a statement sent to the media this afternoon.
On Thursday, the Mozambican CNE announced the victory of Daniel Chapo (Frelimo) in the election for Mozambican President on 9 October, with 70.67% of the votes, results that still have to be validated by the Constitutional Council.
Venâncio Mondlane, supported by the non-parliamentary Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), came second with 20.32%, totalling 1,412,517 votes.
In the same position, the EU EOM reiterates its ‘call on the electoral authorities to ensure maximum transparency, including the publication of results broken down by polling station’.
‘And to the Constitutional Council to respond adequately to the contentious appeals lodged by the different parties,’ it reads.
The EU EOM – which was the largest international election observation mission, with more than 170 observers – also says that it ‘condemns the violent dispersal of demonstrators and the political violence of recent days’.
‘The mission urges respect for fundamental freedoms and the right to peaceful assembly and calls on all parties to refrain from acts of violence,’ the statement concludes.
In third place in the presidential election, according to the CNE announcement, was Ossufo Momade, president of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), until now the largest opposition party, with 5.81 per cent, followed by Lutero Simango, president of the Mozambican Democratic Movement (MDM), with 3.21 per cent.
Frelimo also won the legislative elections, strengthening its parliamentary majority from 184 to 195 deputies, and elected all the provincial governors.
The CNE’s announcement of the results on Thursday came on the first of two days of general strikes and demonstrations across the country called by Mondlane against this year’s electoral process, which is being marked by clashes between demonstrators and the police on the main avenues of the Mozambican capital.
More than 300 people have been arrested, according to the police, and in the streets and neighbourhoods of Maputo, the capital, the trail of clashes with demonstrators who took to the streets burning tyres and cutting off avenues was visible this morning, with a strong police response, with armoured vehicles, sniper teams, tear gas and shots fired into the air.
Lusa
