Demonstrations and tear gas as Morrembene STAE ignores today's CNE ruling
Morrembene STAE (State Secretariat of Electoral Management) ignored this morning’s CNE (National Election Commission) ruling, leading to an attempt to block improperly named polling station heads. This in turn led to a confrontation with police and tear gas fired.
In many places there was no open competition for election jobs as required by law. Instead Frelimo named trainers and also said they should also become polling station chairs (presidents, returning officers).
There was such an outcry that only at 1am this morning (Tuesday) CNE said trainers could not automatically become polling station chairs. Morrumbene ignored this, made no changes to its list, and tried to send out polling station staff including the improper chairs.
Opposition leaders objected, and blocked the cars. STAE called the police who sent the riot police (UIR) who launched tear gas, and the STAE cars left to the polling stations.
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Meetings between returning officers and Frelimo continue
In several districts this morning (Tuesday), secret meetings continued with Frelimo distributing allowances to presidents, vice-presidents and polling station secretaries. In Matola, the meetings with the MMVs (polling station staff) who were instrumental in the operationalisation of fraud were spread out in different places to avoid larger gatherings and arousing the attention of the opposition.
In Morrumbala, the meeting was held on Monday night at around 10pm. Participants were assured that there would be ‘something’ as a reward for doing a ‘good job’. This information was given to us by a vice-president.
Our correspondents report that amounts vary from 10,000 to 30,000 Meticais ($150-$450). Polling station presidents (returning officers) receive more money than vice-presidents and secretaries. But the amounts are also calculated according to the political importance of the region. Those who work in an opposition stronghold receive more than those who will be president, vice-president or secretary in an area dominated by Frelimo.
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‘If it's an area where the opposition has more acceptance they pay 30,000 meticais and in the others 10,000 and 20,000 meticais. Those who received money were told that Frelimo and its presidential candidate must win with 85%: "that's the watchword, and they must also do everything they can to put an extra mark somewhere on ballot papers so they are considered null and void," said the source.
Others who were not covered by the payments went to the party's headquarters on Tuesday morning to demand the payments, but the party's response was that it no longer had any money to distribute. They were promised that if more money was found, they would be paid via Mpesa or Emola and, to this end, they left their telephone numbers.
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MMV killed and two injured in road accident in Alto Molócuè
The accident took place on this morning (Tuesday) in the town of Alto Molócuè. It involved two Mitsubishi Fuso lorries carrying polling station staff, travelling in the same direction. One had a tyre blow-out and crashed, killing a woman and leaving two people seriously injured, both occupants of the truck. The injured were evacuated to the Alto Molócuè rural hospital.
