The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) for the 9 October general elections announced on Tuesday (22) that it had found ‘irregularities during the count and unjustified changes’ to the election results that need to be clarified.
‘To date, the EU EOM has found irregularities during the count and unjustified changes to the election results at polling station and district level,’ reads a statement released on Tuesday, quoted by Lusa.
The European Union Election Observation Mission began its activities in Mozambique on 1 September 2024 and deployed 179 observers for election day, having issued a preliminary statement on 11 October about the electoral process.
‘The EU EOM continued to observe the electoral process, although EU observers were prevented from observing the tabulation processes in some districts and provinces, as well as at national level,’ it reads.
To date, the EU EOM has noted irregularities during the count and unjustified changes to the election results at polling station and district level
The statement adds that ‘as a measure to contribute to the confidence and integrity of the electoral process, the EU EOM reiterates its call to the electoral bodies to conduct the tabulation process in a transparent and credible manner, ensuring the verification of polling station results’.
‘The publication of results broken down by polling station is not only a matter of good practice, but also a strong safeguard for the integrity of the results,’ said the head of the mission, Laura Ballarín, quoted in the statement.
The position comes after Mozambique experienced moments of tension on Monday (21), with clashes between demonstrators and police, especially in Maputo, after tear gas and shots were fired into the air to demobilise a peaceful march called by the presidential candidate against the double murder of two supporters and to contest the election results in the mid-term count.
‘In view of the social tensions and electoral violence recorded in recent days, the EU EOM reiterates its condemnation of the murders of Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe (Venâncio Mondlane’s lawyer and a member of the Podemos Party, which supports him, respectively), and calls for maximum restraint and respect for fundamental freedoms and political rights,’ the statement added.
The EU EOM continued to observe the electoral process, although EU observers were prevented from observing the tabulation processes in some districts and provinces, as well as at national level
The EU EOM also states that ‘it is the responsibility of the electoral administration to clarify irregularities and of the Constitutional Council to resolve them during the process of validating the results, while respecting the will of the voters’.
‘The EU EOM will remain in Mozambique to monitor the next phases of the electoral process. It will then publish a final report, including its assessment and recommendations for improving the electoral framework,’ the statement concluded.
