Africa-Press – Mozambique. Just as the polls were closing at 6pm yesterday, the country experienced an internet blackout by the main operators, most notably Movitel, the operator most used in rural areas and the north.
The shutdown made it impossible to access social networks and share information and data about the closing of the polls and the vote count. A precisely 9 pm Movitel resumed service.
Most polling stations closed promptly at 6 pm without queues. Only a few still had people waiting to vote. At the Amilcar Cabral EPC in Lichinga, Niassa, only one polling station still had 10 voterss after 6pm. But in Nampula, there were 111 voters at the EPC dos Limoeiros by 6pm. As required by law numbered tickets were handed out and the polling stations remained open until everyone had votes.
Most polling stations are in school classrooms. Votes are called out by the presiding officer, a tick is added to the blackboard (above), and ballot papers are sorted on the floor.
In the city of Nampula, an individual was found with 14 votes marked for the MDM and was immediately picked up by police from the 2nd Police Station. In Nacala, the vice-president of polling station number 090906-04 of EPC 7 April was caught inserting four ballot papers into the ballot box in favour of Frelimo.
The opposition party delegates asked for him to be handcuffed. The police took him to the station. In the same school, there is no lighting in all the assemblies, using hand lamps, which is not effective for the process.
In the village of Insaca, in Mecanhelas, Niassa province, the chairwoman of table 03 in Chaca was caught by other table members inserting votes into the ballot box. At this polling station, with 346 voters, many voters were prevented from voting because their names were not on the register.
In the town of Dondo, Sofala, an allegedly member of the MDM was arrested when he tried to insert 10 completed ballots into the ballot box. During the arrest, the citizen allegedly assaulted and seriously injured the police officer in the forehead. The citizen is being held in the cells of the Dondo district command and the officer is in the local rural hospital for medical treatment.
The Manica Civil Society Platform (PLASOC), in Chimoio, Manica province, denounces the existence of six electoral rolls with discrepant data. In other words, the voter registers that are in the polling stations are different from those held by the MDM, Nova Democrática and Renamo observers. This messed up the vote, as some people were returned without being able to vote.
At Nhongonhana Secondary School in Marracuene, the population registered, but the doors were closed today. Some citizens were there and then returned without success because they didn’t know where they could exercise their civic rights.
One citizen told us that after registering, they were told to return to the same place on voting day, but there was no polling station.
Briefly
· Journalists and observers were banned from following the vote count for the first 20 minutes in Homoine EPC, Inhambane province, on the grounds that at no time had STAE given instructions for journalists and observers to enter the polling station.
· In Xai-Xai, at the 24 de Julho and Josina Machel schools, there was a power cut at the start of the vote count.
· This evening the police contingent (canine and riot police) was reinforced at the polling stations in the Munhava area of Beira.
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