Parallel count shows Renamo victory in NampulaIn a close race, Renamo has won in Nampula by more than 4000 votes, according to a parallel count of 433 of 441 polling stations by the Mais Integridade civil society observation consortium. Renamo has 74,132 votes at these polling stations (49%), Frelimo 69,830 (46%), and MDM 7,418 (5%).
CNE OKs all district election results unchanged with Frelimo in favour, but CNE head Bishop Matsinhe abstains
Bishop Carlos Matsinhe, president of the National Electoral Commission, abstained on Wednesday night from voting for or against the resolution approving all the results of the local elections on 11 October, as announced by the district electoral commissions of the 65 municipalities, which have been marred by serious irregularities
The rubber stamping of contentious results giving Frelimo victory in 64 of 65 municipalities as announced by district elections commissions was supported by the eight Frelimo members, out of the 15 CNE members present at the session. The other five members, representing the opposition, voted against and two (Dom Carlos Matsinhe and Salomão Moyana) abstained. Two Renamo members were absent from the vote, namely Fernando Mazanga, who had left earlier due to ill health, and Anastâcia Xavier, who was also ill.
Dom Carlos Matsinhe was advised to abstain from voting when Frelimo realised it had the majority to pass the resolution. At first, Frelimo argued in favour of a secret ballot, but the opposition wanted an open vote because they wanted to see the voting tendencies of CNE members from civil society, co-opted by Frelimo. During the discussions, the opposition CNE members declared that they would opt for an open vote, which embarrassed the bishop because he had no way to avoid showing his vote.
The Frelimo members asked for a quick meeting with the bishop where they instructed him to abstain from voting as a way of protecting him because “they had enough members to approve the deliberation”. And so it was.
The following CNE members voted in favour: Carlos Cauio, Paulo Cuinica, Rodrigues Timba, Mário Ernesto, Eugénia Chimpene, Daud Dauto Ussene Ibramogy, Focas Mauvilo and Alice Banze. The opposition voted against Alberto Sabe, Bernabé Ncomo, Apolinário João, Abílio Baessa and Rui Cherene.
By abstaining from voting, Dom Carlos Matsinhe ignored the advice of his fellow Anglican bishops who, in a letter written on 22 October, called on him to observe the “Electoral Law and the practice of truth” in his decisions at the CNE.
The process, which began on Wednesday morning, only ends today. In principle, members of the opposition will not be present today at the ceremony to announce the results.
