Estêvão da Fátima, secretary general of a small party called MAMO (Mozambican Alternative Movement), was barred by the Constitutional Council for standing for president because too many his nomination signatures were fake.
“We did everything we could to run, but we were removed without any explanation … so we think the election process is biased and so we are telling our members and supporters that we will not participate. We are also asking all those who are our supporters not to vote for any party,” said Estevão de Fátima on German DW radio last week.
Presidential candidates must submit signatures of 10,000 voters to the Constitutional Council (CC) which gave a clear explanation for rejecting him. It said he submitted 11,340 signatures of which 7,732 were invalid, including 5,360 clearly signed by the same person. He then submitted 6,393 new signatures, of which 311 were signed by the same person and 4,434 had invalid registration card numbers.
In his boycott campaign he has already gone to Cabo Delgado and Nampula and will go to Niassa and finally Maputo.
Voting in Mozambique is not mandatory and there is no sanctions for calling for a boycott of elections. Former Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama made several public appeals to his party members and supporters not to participate in the local elections that Renamo boycotted in 1998 and 2013.
Fake news: “Mariano Nhongo supports Momade”
News reports circulating that Renamo’s selfproclaimed military junta leader Mariano Nhongo said in an interview with Radio PAX that from September 27 he and his military allies will reinforce the campaign of Renamo around the Gorongosa and Morrumbala Mountains.
This information is false. Radio Pax director Father José Suade told the Bulletin that Radio Pax did not conduct such an interview. Indeed, “Radio has not been on the air since Wednesday because we are currently replacing the tower,” said the priest.
From other observer groups
CDD: Violations but good practice too
Officials at Gurué District Hospital were forced to campaign for Frelimo in Zambézia province, reports Monitor, published by CDD (Centre for Democracy and Development), in its report on the third week of election observation. According to Monitor, a list was circulated to which each employee should register his or her name as an attendance list.
“Obviously, these government workers face a clear violation of their rights as Mozambican citizens, because participation in party activities is voluntary”, says Monitor.
Monitor also found that despite many violations, there were also many examples of good practices by campaigners with good relations between members of different political parties. In Maputo city and province; Chimoio, Manica; Cabo Delgado; Gaza and Sofala members of the political parties greet each other in a festive atmosphere, Monitor reports. This is due to the constant mobilization that party leaders have been making in their political organizations, Monitor adds.
As far as irregularities are concerned, the platform also encountered a number of problems concerning the involvement of children in election campaign caravans, posting electoral propaganda material in places prohibited by law, and the destruction of posters.
The full report at : https://cddmoz.org/media/attachments/2019/09/26/relatorio_de_monitoria_das_eleicoes_gerais_2019_semana3.pdf.
