Frelimo will again illegally control many polling stations, giving it power to manipulate results. In many places trainers and polling station staff (MMVs) have simply been selected by Frelimo, which sent lists to STAE (Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat). In a token admission that this is happening, on Friday (18 September) national STAE in Maputo admitted the problem and cancelled the Quelimane training of trainers next week. Outside trainers will be used instead.

too late to cancel selection of trainers and MMVs for the 9 October election. This means many, perhaps most, polling station staff are again being selected and trained by Frelimo. This occurred in last year's municipal election, and the law had to be changed to bar some of Frelimo's tricks, notably delaying the count or the writing of the results sheets (editais) so that they results could be changed later in secret. But Frelimo trainers will explain how to bypass the new law.