18 November 2008
Nampula — Everything is ready for voting on Wednesday in Mozambique's third local elections in the northern province of Nampula, which has six municipalities, more than any other province.
Isabel Tirano, the provincial director of the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), the electoral branch of the Mozambican civil service, told AIM on Tuesday that the kits of voting materials were sent to Nacala, Mozambique Island, Angoche, Monapo and Ribaue on Saturday and Sunday.
The kits for the polling stations in Nampula city itself are being distributed on Tuesday, so there can be no excuses for polling stations not opening on time. Each polling station should open at 07.00, and the staff have been told to arrive there two hours in advance, so that everything can be prepared for the start of voting.
There are 479 polling stations in the province - 250 in Nampula city, 99 in Nacala, 40 in Angoche, 35 in Monapo, 33 in Mozambique Island and 22 in Ribaue. STAE has hired 2,385 people to staff these polling stations.
Tirano said that the money to pay the polling station staff and the police who will guarantee security during the election has already been transferred to the municipalities.
Before the start of voting each polling station worker will receive 50 meticais (about two US dollars) to pay for snacks during the day. Only after the work is complete will they receive the rest of their wages (ranging from 700 meticais for a scrutineer to 1,000 meticais for a polling station chairperson)
"The level of preparation is very good", claimed Tirano. She was optimistic that there will be a high turnout, thanks to the civic education campaigns waged by STAE and by the political parties.
Turnout in the province in the last local elections, in 2003, ranged from 33 per cent in Angoche to a miserable 14 per cent in Nampula city.
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