In Dondo, in the central province of Sofala, 12 people were arrested trying to register with a registration brigade working out of the Dondo Secondary School. But they were from Chinamacondo, an area outside Dondo, and hence are not eligible to vote in the municipal election. They were caught by an MDM party monitor who claimed they were Frelimo supporters. They were arrested, formally charged, and released until their trial.
But the MDM cannot claim the moral high ground, since it was caught doing exactly the same thing in Metangula, in the northern province of Niassa. Seven ineligible people were caught attempting to register as voters at a registration post at the Muchenga Primary School. They were said to be from Mepoche and Chia neighbourhoods, beyond the municipal boundaries. They said they were staying at the house of the MDM representative in Metangula.
Frelimo and the MDM are also accusing each other of collecting voter card numbers of civil servants. But, as long as people give their numbers willingly, this is not a problem and is not against the law (particularly as, eventually, the full list of voters with their numbers will be published. The “Bulletin” suggests that this is just a case of both parties trying to conform that their supporters are registering.
Other problems include people attempting to register twice or with false documents. Felisberto Naife, general director of the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), believes that in most cases there is no fraudulent intent, with double registration occurring because people have lost their voter's card and try to register again at a different registration post. In such cases, they are supposed to go back to where they registered first, and just ask for a new card.
There can no question of anyone voting more than once, no matter how many times they are registered. The use of indelible ink to mark voters’ fingers guarantees that.
As for using forged documents to register, Naife alerted voters that they do not need any documents at all. Bona fide residents of the municipality, who have no acceptable identification documents, can simply be identified by two other voters already registered at that post, or by local community or religious leaders.
Half way through the registration period, the number of people who have registered remains worryingly low. The voter registration runs from 25 May to 23 July. According to STAE figures, as of 24 June, the half way mark, 1,244,529 voters had been registered in the 43 existing municipalities, out of an estimated potential electorate of 3,490,925 – or 35.7%.
Broken down by province, the STAE figures are as follows:
Maputo City: 280,628 registered of 716,996 expected, 39.1% Maputo Province:168,129 registered of 551,891 expected, 30.5%
Gaza: 86,915 registered of 158,933 expected, 54.7%
Inhambane: 74,004 registered of 147,180 expected, 50.3%
Sofala: 123,474 registered of 326,147 expected, 37.9%
Manica: 86,608 registered of 190,942 expected, 45.4%
Tete: 71,739 registered of 131,185 expected, 54.7%
Zambezia: 95,620 registered of 376,685 expected, 25.4%
Nampula: 140,449 registered of 553,410 expected, 25.4%
Niassa: 53,162 registered of 157,120 expected, 33.8% Cabo Delgado: 63,801 registered of 185,077 expected, 34.5%
It is immediately clear that the only provinces to pass the 50 per cent mark are the Frelimo strongholds of Gaza, Inhambane and Tete. The “Bulletin” suggests that the low turnout in Nampula and Zambezia might be a reflection of the declared policy of the main opposition party, the former rebel movement Renamo, to boycott the elections. While Frelimo is actively mobilizing its supporters to register, Renamo is simply ignoring the whole exercise. This argument, however, does not explain the low turnout in the Frelimo stronghold of Maputo province.
Registration in the 10 towns elevated to municipal status in May only began on 20 June, but within a week or so 22% of potential voters had been registered, 22,569 of 98,906 expected. This high turnout in the new municipalities may be because these are the first municipal elections they have experienced.
Post published in: Africa News