The United States of America acknowledged this Monday, 16 October, the “credibility” of the reports on “irregularities” in the 11 October local elections in Mozambique, asking the country’s authorities to consider all the complaints lodged.
“Based on reports from the US Embassy and other observers, the local media, party delegates, election officials and civil society organisations, voting day in the 65 municipalities was generally peaceful, but there are many credible reports of irregularities on voting day and during the vote tabulation process,” the US Embassy said in a note sent to the media on Monday.
The US government called on the electoral authorities, local courts and the Constitutional Council of Mozambique to take “all complaints of irregularities seriously” and to be impartial in their actions.
“The National Electoral Commission (CNE) must ensure that all votes are counted accurately and transparently,” said the US embassy in its note, recognising the determination with which Mozambicans took part in Wednesday’s vote.
For the US government, which monitored the electoral process in at least 12 of Mozambique’s 65 municipalities, a “clean, transparent and peaceful electoral process is essential for the future of multiparty democracy” in Mozambique.
The Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) was announced the winner in at least 49 of the 50 municipalities when the intermediate results of the local elections were finalised, in the face of strong opposition from parties and civil society organisations.
The president of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), Ossufo Momade, said on Sunday that the party won the local elections and does not recognise the results announced by the electoral bodies, denouncing a “mega-fraud” to “keep” Filipe Nyusi and Frelimo in power in Mozambique, announcing national demonstrations of repudiation from Tuesday and recourse to the courts.
The sixth local elections in Mozambique were held in 65 municipalities across the country, including 12 new municipalities, which went to the polls for the first time.
