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
Friday, November 29, 2013
Présidentielle à Madagascar: la campagne démarre pour le second tour
La campagne électorale malgache pour le deuxième tour de la présidentielle débute ce vendredi 29 novembre. Robinson Jean-Louis, arrivé en tête du premier tour, affronte Hery Rajaonarimampianina, ex-ministre des Finances. Ils représentent respectivement l'ancien président Marc Ravalomanana, renversé en 2009, et toujours en exil, et Andry Rajoelina, tombeur de l'ancien président. Jeudi, dans la capitale, se tenait une réunion entre les deux candidats, à l'appel du Comité pour la réconciliation malgache. Robinson Jean-Louis a brillé par son absence.
La réconciliation nationale sous les applaudissements. A droite, le candidat Hery Rajaonarimampianina qui a reçu la « bénédiction », selon ses termes, d’Andry Rajoelina. Au milieu, le général Sylvain Rabotoarison, président du Comité de réconciliation malgache, et à gauche un représentant de Robinson Jean-Louis, Élysée Razaka, ministre sous Marc Ravalomanana.
Une question se pose immédiatement : pourquoi Robinson Jean-Louis n’est pas là ? Son représentant répond : « L’invitation du FMM (Force médiane mixte) est venue un peu tardivement, alors qu’il avait déjà un planning, donc d’aller voir les gens qui le soutiennent dans les régions.
Mais la réconciliation nationale, le CRN qui est quand même une institution de la feuille de route, ce n’est pas prioritaire ?
C’est tout à fait prioritaire et disons que le candidat Jean-Louis Robinson a vraiment pris ça très au sérieux.
Oui, mais il n’est pas là ?
Ça, c’est les circonstances.
Les circonstances donc. Si Robinson Jean-Louis est élu et que Marc Ravalomanana rentre, est-ce que Andry Rajoelina pourra rester, comme il l’entend, sur le sol malgache ? Tout à fait. Il pourra rester comme il veut à Madagascar. Il n’y a aucun problème là-dessus, c’est sûr.
Source: RFI
La réconciliation nationale sous les applaudissements. A droite, le candidat Hery Rajaonarimampianina qui a reçu la « bénédiction », selon ses termes, d’Andry Rajoelina. Au milieu, le général Sylvain Rabotoarison, président du Comité de réconciliation malgache, et à gauche un représentant de Robinson Jean-Louis, Élysée Razaka, ministre sous Marc Ravalomanana.
Une question se pose immédiatement : pourquoi Robinson Jean-Louis n’est pas là ? Son représentant répond : « L’invitation du FMM (Force médiane mixte) est venue un peu tardivement, alors qu’il avait déjà un planning, donc d’aller voir les gens qui le soutiennent dans les régions.
Mais la réconciliation nationale, le CRN qui est quand même une institution de la feuille de route, ce n’est pas prioritaire ?
C’est tout à fait prioritaire et disons que le candidat Jean-Louis Robinson a vraiment pris ça très au sérieux.
Oui, mais il n’est pas là ?
Ça, c’est les circonstances.
Les circonstances donc. Si Robinson Jean-Louis est élu et que Marc Ravalomanana rentre, est-ce que Andry Rajoelina pourra rester, comme il l’entend, sur le sol malgache ? Tout à fait. Il pourra rester comme il veut à Madagascar. Il n’y a aucun problème là-dessus, c’est sûr.
Source: RFI
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Début de campagne pour le second tour des élections à Madagascar
Vendredi 29 novembre commencera la campagne pour l'élection présidentielle et les législatives sur le territoire malgache. Les législatives représentent l'enjeu décisif. Le candidat Hery Rajaonarimampianina ne présente aucun député sous son nom. Le parti du candidat Robinson Jean-Louis lui présente une trentaine de candidats, loin d'une majorité parlmentaire. Pourtant ce sont les députés, issus des législatives, qui vont proposer un Premier ministre. Alors, les malgaches vont ils élire un président faible ?
Selon Sahondra Rabenarivo du Sefafi, l'observatoire de la vie publique : Oui, les malgaches vont élire un président faible, je pense que c'est exact . La juriste, poursuit. Robinson Jean-Louis devrait gouverner avec les députés issus de la mouvance Ravalomanana et du parti Vert, mais avec qui Hery Rajaonarimampianina, va gouverner, ça, c'est toujours un mystère.
Pour Jean-Eric Rakotoarisoa, professeur de droit « en effet,la question se pose. Hery Rajaonarimampianina ne présente aucun député aux législatives. En théorie, il devrait gouverner avec ceux de la plate forme d'Andry Rajoelina, mais il n'est même pas sûr qu'ils obtiennent la majorité. Au total, 2 052 candidats s'affrontent dans ces législatives, pour 151 sièges, à la future Assemblé Nationale. La majorité parlementaire doit proposer un Premier Minsitre,
que le président ne pourra pas refuser.
Conclusion de Jean-Eric Rakotoarisoa : « Que ce soit l'un, ou l'autre des candidats, qui gagne, le futur président n'aura pas carte blanche. Et quand on connait l'histoire de Madagascar, c'est plutôt une bonne chose.
Source: RFI
Selon Sahondra Rabenarivo du Sefafi, l'observatoire de la vie publique : Oui, les malgaches vont élire un président faible, je pense que c'est exact . La juriste, poursuit. Robinson Jean-Louis devrait gouverner avec les députés issus de la mouvance Ravalomanana et du parti Vert, mais avec qui Hery Rajaonarimampianina, va gouverner, ça, c'est toujours un mystère.
Pour Jean-Eric Rakotoarisoa, professeur de droit « en effet,la question se pose. Hery Rajaonarimampianina ne présente aucun député aux législatives. En théorie, il devrait gouverner avec ceux de la plate forme d'Andry Rajoelina, mais il n'est même pas sûr qu'ils obtiennent la majorité. Au total, 2 052 candidats s'affrontent dans ces législatives, pour 151 sièges, à la future Assemblé Nationale. La majorité parlementaire doit proposer un Premier Minsitre,
que le président ne pourra pas refuser.
Conclusion de Jean-Eric Rakotoarisoa : « Que ce soit l'un, ou l'autre des candidats, qui gagne, le futur président n'aura pas carte blanche. Et quand on connait l'histoire de Madagascar, c'est plutôt une bonne chose.
Source: RFI
Mali elections to enter 2nd round in December
Mali's parliamentary elections will enter a second round on 15 December as no party has secured an absolute majority in the first round, according to provisional results published on Wednesday. Turnout in the 24 November polls reached 38.4%, "far short of our expectations", said Minister of Territorial Administration Moussa Sinko Coulibaly, as he announced the results.
Some 6.5 million Malians were eligible to vote for a new national assembly, with more than 1 000 candidates running for the 147 seats. The polls marked Mali's first steps to recovery after it was plunged into chaos by a military coup in March last year that triggered the fall of the country's north into the hands of armed Islamist groups allied with al-Qaeda. They finalised a process begun with the election of its first post-conflict leader in August.
The goal of the new Malian president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, is to give his RPM party and its allies a comfortable majority in the new assembly. Foreign and national monitors welcomed the smooth running of the election, which was generally peaceful apart from a few violent incidents in the north by Tuareg separatists. The observers nonetheless regretted the low turnout. More than 10 months after an armed intervention launched by France in January to hunt them down, the Islamist groups continue to stage attacks in the north of Mali.
Source: AFP
Some 6.5 million Malians were eligible to vote for a new national assembly, with more than 1 000 candidates running for the 147 seats. The polls marked Mali's first steps to recovery after it was plunged into chaos by a military coup in March last year that triggered the fall of the country's north into the hands of armed Islamist groups allied with al-Qaeda. They finalised a process begun with the election of its first post-conflict leader in August.
The goal of the new Malian president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, is to give his RPM party and its allies a comfortable majority in the new assembly. Foreign and national monitors welcomed the smooth running of the election, which was generally peaceful apart from a few violent incidents in the north by Tuareg separatists. The observers nonetheless regretted the low turnout. More than 10 months after an armed intervention launched by France in January to hunt them down, the Islamist groups continue to stage attacks in the north of Mali.
Source: AFP
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Mozambique Electoral Commission begins reclassifying invalid votes
Mozambique’s National Elections Commission (CNE) on Tuesday began “reclassifying” the votes declared as invalid at the polling stations in last Wednesday’s municipal elections. Polling station staffs tend to be strict in their interpretation of the guidelines, often rejecting votes as invalid simply because the voters have made a slight mistake in placing their mark, or have used a mark other than a cross or a fingerprint in the box beside the name of their favoured candidate or party.
The CNE’s “reclassification” is intended to rescue votes where, in the CNE’s view, the voter has expressed a clear preference. As from Tuesday afternoon, teams from the CNE, with support staff from the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), began sifting through the thousands of supposedly invalid votes. They began with the southern province of Inhambane. This is a stronghold of the ruling Frelimo Party, and in all five municipalities in the province the Frelimo candidates for mayor have such large majorities that reclassifying the invalid votes will make no difference to the result. However, in the election of members to the municipal assemblies, the reclassification of even a few invalid votes could make a difference in the allocation of assembly seats between Frelimo and its main rival, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM).
The vast majority of votes that AIM saw in the reclassification room were truly invalid. These were ballot papers, for example, where crosses had been placed, clearly by the same hand, against the names of both candidates, of where a mark or a fingerprint smudge had been made in the space at the bottom or top of the ballot paper, but too far away from the names of the candidates to make a plausible claim that it was intended for either of them. Both Frelimo and the MDM were penalized by the strict rule that no words must be written on the ballot paper. Thus voters who wrote their names or initials against their preferred candidates were doing them no favours, and these votes were automatically regarded as invalid.
AIM saw one ballot paper in which the voter had firmly written “Nao” (no) against the Frelimo candidate’s name, and “Sim” (yes) against the MDM name. Although there can hardly be any doubt that this voter wanted to vote for the MDM, he or she fell foul of the “no words” rule, and the vote was deemed invalid. There were cases where a cross was put against one name and a fingerprint against the other, but this did not seem to favour one or the other candidate in particular. In the votes AIM observed (from the Quisssico and Vilankulo municipalities), there was no sign of the deliberate invalidation of opposition votes by adding a fingerprint elsewhere on the ballot papers. In previous elections when this has happened, it has usually been unmistakable.
The reclassification finished first in Inhambane city. In the mayoral election there, 742 votes were declared invalid. The CNE rescued 95 of them – 75 for Frelimo candidate Benedito Guimino, and 20 for MDM candidate Fernando Nhaca. This left 647 genuinely invalid votes. As for the municipal assembly election, of the 671 invalid votes, 60 were recovered for Frelimo and 16 for the MDM, leaving 595 definitively invalid votes. The CNE intends to reclassify the invalid votes from Gaza and Cabo Delgado provinces on Tuesday evening, and deal with the rest of the provinces on Wednesday. The CNE wants to finish this task as quickly as possible, in order to speed up the announcement of the definitive election results. The reclassification session at which AIM was present was observed by two journalists and three observers. Neither Frelimo nor the MDM seemed interested in protecting their votes since no monitors from either party were present.
Source: Club of Mozambique
The CNE’s “reclassification” is intended to rescue votes where, in the CNE’s view, the voter has expressed a clear preference. As from Tuesday afternoon, teams from the CNE, with support staff from the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), began sifting through the thousands of supposedly invalid votes. They began with the southern province of Inhambane. This is a stronghold of the ruling Frelimo Party, and in all five municipalities in the province the Frelimo candidates for mayor have such large majorities that reclassifying the invalid votes will make no difference to the result. However, in the election of members to the municipal assemblies, the reclassification of even a few invalid votes could make a difference in the allocation of assembly seats between Frelimo and its main rival, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM).
The vast majority of votes that AIM saw in the reclassification room were truly invalid. These were ballot papers, for example, where crosses had been placed, clearly by the same hand, against the names of both candidates, of where a mark or a fingerprint smudge had been made in the space at the bottom or top of the ballot paper, but too far away from the names of the candidates to make a plausible claim that it was intended for either of them. Both Frelimo and the MDM were penalized by the strict rule that no words must be written on the ballot paper. Thus voters who wrote their names or initials against their preferred candidates were doing them no favours, and these votes were automatically regarded as invalid.
AIM saw one ballot paper in which the voter had firmly written “Nao” (no) against the Frelimo candidate’s name, and “Sim” (yes) against the MDM name. Although there can hardly be any doubt that this voter wanted to vote for the MDM, he or she fell foul of the “no words” rule, and the vote was deemed invalid. There were cases where a cross was put against one name and a fingerprint against the other, but this did not seem to favour one or the other candidate in particular. In the votes AIM observed (from the Quisssico and Vilankulo municipalities), there was no sign of the deliberate invalidation of opposition votes by adding a fingerprint elsewhere on the ballot papers. In previous elections when this has happened, it has usually been unmistakable.
The reclassification finished first in Inhambane city. In the mayoral election there, 742 votes were declared invalid. The CNE rescued 95 of them – 75 for Frelimo candidate Benedito Guimino, and 20 for MDM candidate Fernando Nhaca. This left 647 genuinely invalid votes. As for the municipal assembly election, of the 671 invalid votes, 60 were recovered for Frelimo and 16 for the MDM, leaving 595 definitively invalid votes. The CNE intends to reclassify the invalid votes from Gaza and Cabo Delgado provinces on Tuesday evening, and deal with the rest of the provinces on Wednesday. The CNE wants to finish this task as quickly as possible, in order to speed up the announcement of the definitive election results. The reclassification session at which AIM was present was observed by two journalists and three observers. Neither Frelimo nor the MDM seemed interested in protecting their votes since no monitors from either party were present.
Source: Club of Mozambique
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