20 November 2008
Maputo — In the local elections in the central Mozambican city of Beira, the current mayor, Daviz Simango, is leading in the count, but so far Radio Mozambique has only declared the result from six polling stations in the central neighbourhood of Ponta-Gea.
In these stations, Simango enjoyed an advantage of 229 votes over the candidate of the ruling Frelimo Party, Lourenco Bulha. Coming a very poor third was the candidate of the main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, Manuel Pereira.
The results for these six polling stations, as given by the Radio, were:
Daviz Simango (Independent): 1,602 Lourenco Bulha (Frelimo): 1,374 Manuel Pereira (Renamo): 40
This seems conclusive proof that the vast majority of Renamo supporters in what is traditionally a Renamo stronghold have refused to accept the Renamo leadership's expulsion of Simango from the party in September. The man whom Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama imposed on Beira has been humiliated.
But Simango now has a problem. For the crushing defeat of Pereira, has also brought down the Renamo candidates for the municipal assembly. According to the Radio, though it gave no exact figures, in the election for the municipal assembly, Frelimo is leading.
This could lead to a situation where an opposition mayor, Simango, has to deal with a Frelimo dominated assembly, a very delicate situation given that the Assembly has to approve the municipal budget.
Nonetheless, Simango's showing in Beira is one of the few crumbs of comfort for the opposition on a night in which Frelimo has scored an overwhelming victory. By 07.00 on Thursday morning, it was clear that Frelimo has held on to the 28 municipalities it won in 2003, and is likely to win in all ten towns that were elevated to municipal status this year.
As for the five municipalities won by Renamo in 2003, it has certainly lost in Beira, and early indications are that the Renamo mayor of the northern port of Nacala, Manuel dos Santos, is also losing.
Pf/ (340)
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