District Courts have rejected Renamo's complaints in Guruè and Quelimane. The first claimed lack of evidence and the second that Renamo presented unsigned minutes and editais.
After the results were announced, the Renamo delegation in Guruè submitted an appeal to the Gurué District Court, challenging the results of the District Electoral Commission. In the same letter, the Renamo party asked for a second round of elections to be held in that municipality.
For its part, the Nova Democracia party has also submitted a letter to the Gurué court, in which it points out various irregularities registered during the electoral process and joins Renamo in insisting that a second round of local elections be held in Gurué. The parties consider that "the figures have been manipulated".
During voting day, the municipality of Guruè was full of police officers from various branches: Protection Police, Rapid Intervention Unit, National Criminal Investigation Service and State Information and Security Services.
In the city of Quelimane, the Judicial Court dismissed Renamo's appeal on the grounds that Renamo submitted unauthenticated copies and the court doubts that the copies of the editais are from this electoral process.
Kampfumo and Chamanculo courts under pressure to favour Frelimo
The district courts of Kampfumo and Chamanculo in Maputo city are under political pressure to decide opposition appeals in favour of Frelimo. According to the newspaper Canal de MoçamRank ( + / - ) bique, the judges of these two courts have asked the district election commissions for editias proving that Frelimo won in order to compare them with the editias that Renamo presented, which give it victory. The deadline has passed and all indications are that the editiasdon't match the published results.
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The courts are about to decide whether or not to annul the election, and there is enormous pressure from the Frelimo party. A cancellation of the election in Maputo would undermine the credibility of the whole process and a rerun would have higher punitive costs for the Frelimo party.
Renamo demonstrates in several municipalities
Today (Tuesday 17 October) there were demonstrations organised by Renamo to contest the election results. In Maputo, the march of thousands of Renamo sympathisers began shortly after 11am at the Xiquelene Market and travelled along Vladimir Lenin Avenue. However, on arrival at Praça da OMM, the parade was met by agents of the Rapid Intervention Unit, who used tear gas to stop it continuing on Av Lenine toward the downtown (baixa) area. The marchers simply changed their route, and the singing and dancing party members continued to the Renamo headquarters in Polana.
In all the provinces there were street demonstrations led by opposition sympathisers, particularly Renamo.
