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Mozambique elections move smoothly during first day The main problems facing
the National Election Commission (CNE) were heavy rains in the central
provinces of Sofala and Zambezia which prevented some vehicles and even
helicopters from ferrying election materials to voting stations. Nineteen
polling stations were unable to open in Zambezia and 13 in Sofala but
election officials said they hoped to reach most of the isolated areas late
today or tomorrow. Four trucks were reported buried in mud in Sofala. There are 8,560 polling
stations in the country with mobile brigades serving more remote areas.
Mozambique's road infrastructure in many rural areas is fragile and easily
disconnected. President Joaquim Chissano
voted at 7 a.m. at downtown Josina Machel Primary School surrounded by a
crush of journalists. He repeated earlier statements that he was happy with
the electoral process and that, if re-elected, he would do everything
possible to unite the country in the new millennium. He hinted that should
Frelimo, the ruling party he leads, lose the parliamentary elections by a
small margin that he would attempt negotiations with smaller parties to gain
a majority. Shortly after voting,
Chissano flew to Lesotho to chair a Southern African Development Community
(SADC) meeting to discuss future elections in the small mountain kingdom.
Elections there in 1998 were aborted and SADC, which Chissano chairs, has
taken responsibility for overseeing the process next year. He was to return
here tonight. His only opponent, Afonso
Dhlakama of the Renamo Electoral Union, also voted in Maputo at Polana
Secondary School a few kilometers away at about 8.30 a.m. He repeated his
commitment to democracy. Asked if he would accept defeat in the presidential
race - as many have predicted - he replied yes. When told of Chissano's suggestion
that a negotiated coalition in the Assembly of the Republic might occur, he
replied that he, too, was prepared to negotiate. However, perhaps a portent
of things to come, he expressed dismay and anger at some of the actions of
the CNE, especially the shortage of materials in the rain-soaked provinces
and the delay in releasing campaign funds. "There are three
districts in Tete in which we could not campaign at all because the CNE
delayed the release campaign funds. If we lose those districts, we will not
accept those results." He did not say what action he would take. Today was a holiday across
the country. In Maputo the streets were empty but the beaches full. Driving
some 165 km north of Maputo to Xai-Xai, the capital of Gaza province, towns
were virtually empty and by the noon heat, so were most polling stations.
More people gathered again in the late afternoon but most stations expected
to have completed voting by early Saturday. Mozambique has provision
in its electoral law for a third day of voting if needed. CNE officials
confirmed that in cases where weather had an adverse effect, polls might open
Sunday for the affected areas. Holding elections in
Mozambique during the rainy season is a risky move because the central area
is often affected by widespread flooding. Elsewhere in the country voters
sweltered in the heat. There were a few minor
instances of violence reported but mostly of the pushing and shoving variety
and the occasional late opening of some polling stations but nothing of
serious consequence. The CNE announced it had
deployed more than 54,000 national and local election workers at polling
stations. Although there are some
600 observers and monitors deployed, many stations outside the cities had
seen no sign of the international monitors. The polls will reopen Saturday at 7 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. If there are no extensions, each polling station has 48 hours to report the outcome of its vote to the provincial commissions who, in turn, have five days to verify results and report to the CNE in Maputo. The law states that results must be announced within 14 days of the close of polls. (SARDC) |
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[Elections '99 || Sustainable Democracy || SARDC] Mail Editorial for comments and queries. |
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