Maputo — In Wednesday's Mozambican municipal elections, most of the polling stations opened on time, at 07.00, and no serious disturbances were reported.
The "Mais Integridade' ("More Integrity') election coalition has about 2,000 observers stationed in 30 of the 65 municipalities. An initial statement from the coalition said that 93 per cent of the polling stations observed opened at 07.00
Where stations opened late this was mainly due to the late arrival of voting materials, the outright lack of materials essential for voting, or disorder among the waiting voters which obliged the police to intervene to organize the queues.
In the central city of Beira, there were no voting booths in 14 per cent of the observed polling stations, which forced a delay in their opening.
In Beira, only 75 per cent of the stations opened on time, 82 per cent in Quelimane, and 85 per cent in Gurue.
The observers noted that 90 per cent of the ballot boxes were displayed, and shown to be empty, before they were sealed. But in two municipalities (Mocuba in Zambezia province, and Chiure in Cabo Delgado) this basic procedure was not followed. The boxes were not displayed before they were sealed, which is bound to arouse suspicions.
Monitors from the competing political parties were present at 98 per cent of the polling stations observed. But in some stations in the southern city of Matola, only monitors from the ruling Frelimo Party were present, with a complete absence of monitors from opposition parties.
Although the legislation allows the presence of observers in the rooms where the polling stations operate, the "Mais Integridade' observers were prevented from observing the opening of the stations in Nacala (Nampula province) and Insaca (Niassa).
The bulletin published by the anti-corruption NGO, the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), noted that in the early afternoon turnout in the southern provinces declined considerably, with some polling stations almost empty.
But in the centre and north, particularly the cities of Beira and Quelimane, and parts of Nampula province, turnout was increasing. The observers noted queues of up to 150 voters at some polling stations.
Observers continued to run into difficulties. Under orders from the district supervisor of STAE (Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat), staff prevented observers from observing at stations in Chokwe's Africa Amiga School. The observers stood their ground and, after a long discussion, the police authorized them to work.
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Two instances of outright fraud were reported. At a polling station in Quelimane, a woman was caught red-handed with ballot papers already filled in in favour of Frelimo.
In Gurue, the New Democracy (ND) party seized alleged Frelimo members carrying a ballot box full of completed ballots. The police reacted violently, not against the allege fraudsters, but against the ND members.
STAE has not yet reacted to either of these scandals.
