Maputo — The Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE) has admitted that there are no security conditions for voter registration in the district of Mocímboa da Praia, in the northern Mozambican province of Cabo Delgado.
According to a STAE report, cited by the latest issue of the municipal election bulletin published by the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), only the municipal territory presents the minimum conditions for voter registration, but even this needs some adjustments in the security component.
"STAE recommends the strengthening of security in the perimeter of the voter registration posts, with the allocation of at least two members of the defence and security forces to each registration brigade; the allocation of aircraft for the placement, supervision, technical assistance and collection of the brigades; and the increase in the number of brigades, from four to nine, in that part of the country', reads the document.
The voter registration will take place from 20 April to 3 June in all the districts where there are municipalities. All voters should register, regardless of whether they have voted in previous elections.
As a solution, STAE is proposing that voter registration be held only in the municipal territory and not in the entire district. Mocimboa da Praia would become the only district where registration is held only in the municipal area.
It is not only in Mocímboa da Praia where STAE considers that the security conditions for the start of voter registration have not been fully created. The same is true for Mueda, Montepuez, Chiúre, Pemba, Balama and Ibo.
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In all these districts, with the exception of Pemba, STAE is proposing greater protection and security on the perimeter of the registration posts; the placing of two or more members of the defence and security forces in each brigade; and doubling the number of registration brigades in comparison with the 2018 registration. The protective measures include strengthening the security for members of the electoral bodies and election agents.
For the districts of Mocímboa, Mueda, Montepuez and Chiure the introduction is required of aircraft with the capacity to transport 1.5 tonnes of cargo, 225 hours of operation and 20 hours of positioning, including fuel. The cost of using the aircraft is 138 million meticais (slightly more than two million dollars). But the Mozambican state is facing a liquidity crisis, which is why the National Elections Commission (CNE) is only partly functional.
The CNE could decide, at this week's meeting, whether or not to exclude the Mocímboa da Praia municipality from this year's municipal elections. The decision is extremely urgent, since voter registation begins in two weeks' time.
