Beira — The presidential candidate of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), and mayor of Beira, Daviz Simango, on Thursday called on all registered voters to make their way to the polls for the country's general and provincial elections.

Speaking to reporters immediately after casting his own vote in a Beira polling station, Simango said "I hope other Mozambicans do the same, and don't choose to stay at home, since today is an important day where we will have the chance to choose our leaders for the next five years. I hope that God will illuminate all Mozambicans".

Asked if he was confident that he will win, Simango replied "we leave this in the hands of God".

Simango then became one of the few Mozambicans not to take the day off work. Wednesday was declared a public holiday to allow the maximum number of people to vote - but Simango said he was returning to his mayoral office, and had every intention of working as usual.

The governor of Sofala province, Alberto Vaquina, praised the electoral staff for the high degree of organisation they have shown, and also urged all registered voters to exercise their right to vote.

The Catholic Archbishop of Beira, Jaime Goncalves, said that "a legitimate President" should emerge from the elections, and for that to happen all eligible Mozambicans should vote.

"Peoples should have legitimate authorities to govern them, and in the democratic system, legitimacy comes from elections, where citizens choose the people who should exercise authority", he said. "It is important that Mozambicans choose those who can govern them legitimately for the pursuit of the common good".

"Considering the past of our elections, the parties must accept the results", Goncalves added. "But this does not mean that any result should be accepted. That's why we are choosing so that we can be sure of a legitimate authority in the country, not one that will rule us without legitimacy and authorisation".

Not all the polling stations were as organised as Vaquina believed. In one station, in Chipangara neighbourhood, the staff failed to organise the queue, and a mass of voters invaded the polling station. Many were angered to find that their names were apparently not on the electoral register.

There were other cases of queue jumping, with young voters refusing to give priority to the elderly and to pregnant women. Occasionally the police had to intervene to restore order to the queues.

AIM found one station in Munhava neighbourhood which seemed empty - not because of a low turnout, but because the staff had been properly organised and processed the voters quickly during the morning. Other polling stations in the same area, however, still had lengthy queues.