Carimo highlighted these challenges during his first public appearance as chair of the electoral organ since he was formally appointed by President Armando Guebuza on Thursday.
According to Carimo, the challenges facing the CNE are enormous and include the need for all parties to understand and obey the electoral law to avoid adverse situations. He said that the CNE is determined to ensure that elections take place in a peaceful climate through increased openness, dialogue and inclusion.
He stated that “it is necessary to impart greater dynamism, opening the doors of the CNE, making it approachable to parties and not being seen as a political adversary because it is overseeing the process”.
Municipal elections are scheduled to be held on 20 November 2013, with presidential and parliamentary elections due to take place in October 2014.
Following the decision of the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, on Wednesday to grant a further ten towns municipal status, the elections for mayors and municipal assemblies will now take place in 53 towns and cities.
Carimo lamented that this poses an enormous challenge for the CNE, which has to create all the logistical conditions needed to ensure that the voter registration can take place (voter registration is due to begin on Saturday).
The CNE consists of eight members from the parliamentary parties (five appointed by the ruling Frelimo Party, two by the main opposition party Renamo, and one by the Mozambique Democratic Movement, MDM), three from civil society, a judge appointed by the Higher Council of the Judicial Magistracy, and an attorney appointed by the Higher Council of the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The two seats for Renamo remain vacant as the party has announced that it will boycott the elections and has refused to appoint its CNE members.
Post published in: Africa News