Maputo — Mozambique's main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, is threatening to disrupt the 19 November municipal elections in the central town of Gorongosa, if the National Elections Commission (CNE) disqualifies its candidate for mayor, Cristovao Soares.

The problem is that when Renamo submitted the nomination papers for its municipal candidates they did not include a valid residence certificate for Soares. Under the electoral legislation, candidates for mayor must prove that they have lived in the municipality for at least six months.

But, according to a Thursday report on Radio Mozambique, the certificate presented by Soares said he had lived in Gorongosa for four months, not six.

When AIM spoke to CNE spokesperson Juvenal Bucuane on Thursday afternoon, he said that several candidates had faced similar problems with their paperwork. The CNE had notified them all, and the great majority had been able to regularize their situation.

"But to date we have not received a valid document from Cristovao Soares", he said.

Bucuane said he expected the CNE to take a final decision on the matter "by tomorrow" (Friday). The CNE could not wait any longer, he stressed, because it had to print ballot papers with the names of the candidates. The printer had already been chosen, and was waiting for the final list of names from the CNE.

But the Renamo Sofala province political delegate, Fernando Mbararano, has openly threatened violence if the CNE does not allow Soares to run. Mbararano said Renamo would make elections in Gorongosa impossible unless the CNE reconsidered.