Mozambique’s electoral body faces scrutiny over vote result verification

MAPUTO – The Constitutional Council of Mozambique has intensified its scrutiny of the National Elections Commission (CNE) following concerns over the verification of results from the October 11 municipal elections. The council has extended its initial request for election documents, known as editais and actas, from ten municipalities to include 11 additional districts, amid allegations of electoral fraud and procedural irregularities.

On Wednesday, the council set a strict 24-hour deadline for the CNE to produce the requested documents, which include individual results sheets from the contested elections. The CNE, however, failed to meet this deadline and sought an extension. Bishop Carlos Matsinhe, president of the CNE, acknowledged that the District Elections Commissions still possessed the editais, raising questions about whether the commission had rubber-stamped district results without proper verification.

The situation escalated on Thursday when opposition members within the CNE raised suspicions that Frelimo, the ruling political party, may have influenced electoral bodies in at least two provinces to delay delivering materials, potentially to create falsified documents. In light of these allegations and the CNE’s admission that it did not have possession of the editais, doubts were cast on Frelimo’s victory in 64 municipalities.

Responding to these developments, the Constitutional Council granted a 72-hour extension for the CNE to comply with its demands. This move came after Paulo Cuinica, a spokesperson for the CNE, made statements that contradicted electoral law by asserting that editais usually remain within municipalities rather than being submitted to central electoral authorities.

The unfolding events point to a broader controversy surrounding Mozambique’s electoral process and have prompted calls for greater transparency and adherence to democratic procedures. The Constitutional Council’s actions reflect its commitment to ensuring that election outcomes are based on verified and lawful processes.

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