Rerun of Mozambique municipal elections in Nampula on sunday

The final results of Mozambique’s 2013 Municipal Elections are still unknown as a rerun of the elections in Nampula has been scheduled for Sunday. Mozambique’s Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE) has reactivated its voter education brigades in the northern city of Nampula to assure that all voters know about the election rerun on Sunday.

Mozambique’s Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE) has reactivated its voter education brigades in the northern city of Nampula, ahead of the re-run of the municipal elections there next Sunday, 1 December. The announcement about the rerun of the election in Nampula, on 1 December, was made by the Cabinet on Tuesday. The rerun became necessary after it was discovered that the name of one of the candidates was omitted from the ballots, prompting the National Election Commission (CNE) to annul the elections for Mayor of Nampula. In addition suspicions that there had not been secured appropriate security for the ballot boxes, and the wish to eliminate any possible suspicion of possible voter fraud, prompted the Cabinet to also order a rerun of the election for the Nampula Municipal Assembly.

Although the decision to rerun the election on Sunday gave the STAE the possibility to remount the voter education campaign there will not be adding any additional period for candidates to go on a campaign trail. After the decision was made by the Cabinet on Tuesday, the STAE went into action on Wednesday, dispatching its brigades of voter educators to all quarters and neighborhoods, with loudspeakers and megaphones blaring throughout the city to assure that everybody, without exception has heard that there is a rerun of the election for the office of Mayor and for the Municipal Assembly on Sunday.

The candidates for the office of Mayor of Nampula are:
    Absalao Siueia, of the ruling Frelimo Party,
    Mahamudo Amurane of the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement,
    Mario Albino, of the Association for Civic and Moral Education in the Exploitation of Natural Resources (ASSEMONA),
    Filomena Muturopa, of the Mozambican Humanitarian Party (PAHUMO).

It was the omission of Muturopa’s name on the 20 November ballot paper that caused the annulment. Running for seats in the municipal assembly are Frelimo, the MDM, ASSEMONA, PAHUMO and the Party for Peace Democracy and Development (PDD).


Source: NSNDC INTERNATIONAL