Maputo — Mozambique's National Elections Commission (CNE) has approved the creation of 4,292 voter registration posts ahead of the municipal elections scheduled for 11 October.

The voter registration will take place from 20 April to 3 June in all the districts where there are municipalities.

All voters must register, regardless of whether they have voted in previous elections.

The location of the registration posts took into account proposals from the Provincial Elections Commissions. The CNE also approved the creation of 3,293 registration brigades.

In southern Mozambique (Maputo city and province, Gaza and Inhambane), there will be 1,591 registration posts and 1,149 brigades. In the central provinces (Manica, Sofala, Tete and Zambezia), there will be 1,479 posts and 1,204 brigades, while in the three northern provinces (Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado), there will be 1,222 posts and 840 brigades.

The CNE chairperson, Carlos Matsinhe, announced the decisions at a meeting in Maputo on Monday between the electoral administration bodies and the political parties.

The calendar also fixes 20 April to 14 June as the period for presenting complaints about the voter registration. The CNE and its executive body, the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE) promise to present the definitive data on the voter registration by 14 July.

Political parties, coalitions of parties, and independent groups of citizens who intend to stand in the municipal elections should register with the electoral bodies between 26 June and 14 July.

The CNE spokesperson, Paulo Cuinica, guaranteed that the equipment and materials needed for the voter registration is now in all of the provinces except Cabo Delgado and Nampula, in the north.

The delay in sending the election material to the north, he said, is because many of the roads are impassable, due to the recent torrential rains and flooding. But Cuinica expected this situation to be overcome in the next few days.