Maputo — The Mozambican Bar Association (OAM) has expressed "deep concern at the high level of violence' in the country's municipal elections.

A statement issued on Saturday, and signed by the OAM chairperson, Carlos Martins, warned of "serious damage to our young democracy'.

"The levels of violence, may not only cast doubt on any election result, but may throw suspicion on the electoral act as a whole, and on the institutions that administer it', said the OAM.

"We believe that it is at times of elections that trust in State institutions, including in the electoral bodies, should be renewed', it added. But for this to happen "the institutions must have a republican behavior, guaranteeing the solidity and credibility of the elections, including the conflict resolution mechanisms, thus avoiding behavior that might lead to collective tragedy'.

The violence that had occurred after Wednesday's voting, the statement continued, showed that neither the main stakeholders, nor the public at large, placed much credit in the election administration bodies.

"This shows that our democratic process still faces many basic challenges', said the OAM. "It is true that violence generates fear, but our central concern is the generalization of hatred, which also leads to violence'.

The OAM declares that "the authoritarianism of those contending for power is not the path to democratic consolidation' and insists that elections must be made credible "through transparent procedures'.

"Mozambique and Mozambicans do not need more violence', it adds.

"We expect that the institutions, all of them, will comply with their responsibilities and respect the principle of legality', the OAM concluded. "They all know the legal mechanisms for safeguarding rights, without losing sight of the important role that the international community and international justice institutions play in contexts of extreme violence'.