There is still no plan on how to carry out voter registration in Mocimboa da Praia, Cabo Delgado, partly because the CNE itself is divided. "The decision is up to the Government" said of the National Elections Commission President Dom Carlos Matsinhe, at a meeting Monday in Maputo with civil society organisations. In other words, it is a political issue whose decision is not up to the body he heads.
Within the CNE there is no consensus about holding elections in Mocímboa da Praia. Renamo argues that the municipality of Moçimboa da Praia should be excluded from these municipal elections because it has been depopulated and lacks the necessary security and infrastructure conditions, but one wing of the CNE argues the opposite: the conditions exist, but it is up to the Government to decide.
The town of Mocímboa da Praia was profoundly damaged by insurgents who set up their base there for more than a year. The buildings which used to house the headquarters of the District Elections Commission, and the schools where the brigades used to operate, were destroyed. Much of the population has been displaced to Mueda, Pemba and other districts.
The CNE is proposing that the voter registration be held in the municipal area, and not in the entire district. This suggestion is due to the lack of security and the depopulation of several villages in Mocímboa da Praia district.
