The Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) has announced that the bad weather in the country is affecting the normal course of the voter registration process, pointing out that some brigades have been closed.
“The rain is affecting the normal course of the voter registration process, which is entering its second week, after the launch on 15 March across the country,” said STAE spokeswoman Regina Matsinhe, explaining that in Maputo city, specifically in the municipal districts of Nhamankulu, Kamavota and Kamubukwana, more than five stations were flooded due to the heavy rain, but assuring that all the equipment is being replaced.
With regard to Cabo Delgado province, she emphasised that the electoral bodies had set a target of 512 brigades, but that so far the number has not been reached due to the insecurity situation.
“On Ibo Island, all the work is being done to place electoral material by boat, and the process of training agents is underway so that voter registration can begin. In Quissanga, there is still no security,” he emphasised.
In addition to insecurity, Matsinhe argued that the northern province is facing “rains that are jeopardising the progress of the electoral process, especially given the deterioration of the access roads”.
Recently, the National Electoral Commission (CNE) reported that 9,165 registration posts had been set up for the general elections on 9 October this year.
“Registration will take place from 15 March to 28 April and 8,774 posts will be available for the process throughout the country, 372 in some African countries and 19 in the rest of the world,” explained the president of the CNE, Carlos Matsinhe, adding that more than 6,000 civic agents have been mobilised throughout the country, who will work with mobile social mobilisation units (vehicles equipped with sound and megaphones) in order to make the message more widespread.
The general elections are valued at almost 20 billion meticals, but until the beginning of this month, the electoral bodies only had 6.5 billion.
“The updated budget to support the costs of holding the seventh general, presidential and legislative elections and the fourth for members of the provincial assemblies and the provincial governor, scheduled for 9 October this year, is 19.9 billion meticals,” said the entity.
