This Thursday (7), the Left Bloc (BE) presented a draft resolution in the Portuguese Parliament in which it recommends that the government not recognise the results of the 9 October elections in Mozambique, due to ‘serious irregularities’ pointed out during the electoral process.
According to Lusa, the BE argues that the election in Mozambique took place without the necessary transparency and under accusations of a lack of supervision, especially in the fifteen days between the vote and the release of the results.
The BE points out that, according to national and international observers, such as representatives of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) and the European Union (EU), the electoral process was marked by flaws, including the adulteration of the electoral roll, the partiality of the bodies responsible for the ballot and the unequal presence of party delegates in the assemblies, in favour of Frelimo, the ruling party.
The BE also cites reports by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch denouncing ‘the worst repression in recent years’ in Mozambique, where, according to these organisations, the authorities use lethal violence to disperse peaceful demonstrations, resulting in a daily increase in victims.
‘The situation in Mozambique is alarming, with reports of state repression and violence against the population. Faced with these serious human rights violations and the lack of electoral transparency, the Portuguese government must take a firm stance and not recognise the results announced by the National Electoral Commission,’ declared the BE.
The draft resolution also recommends that the Portuguese government expressly condemns all actions by the Mozambican authorities that ‘violate the rights, freedoms and guarantees of citizens’, and that it actively participates in diplomatic initiatives aimed at stopping the repression of peaceful demonstrations, political violence and arbitrary arrests in the country.
