Maputo — The general director of the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), the electoral branch of the Mozambican civil service, Felisberto Naife, confirmed on Tuesday that the Malawian authorities have refused to allow polling stations for the Mozambican general elections to be opened anywhere on Malawian soil, outside of Mozambican diplomatic buildings.

Malawi is one of seven African countries where Mozambican residents are entitled to vote in Wednesday's presidential and parliamentary elections.

Naife told reporters that in none of the other six countries (South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Kenya) had the authorities objected to the opening of polling stations in residential areas.

The sudden Malawian decision means that Mozambicans resident in that country can only vote at the Mozambican High Commission in Lilongwe, or at the Consulate in Blantyre.

This hostile move by the Malawian authorities is contrary to the basic principles governing cooperation between members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Naife pointed out that the Malawians had raised no objection when Mozambican voter registration brigades were set up in June and July in exactly the same three places where the polling stations were to be erected (Dedza, Salima and Nsanje).

The Malawian decision means that voters who registered in these three areas risk will be disenfranchised, unless they can travel to the High Commission or the Consulate.