Africa-Press – Mozambique. A controversy has been raging in the country since last Wednesday, November 15, 2023, the date on which the Constitutional Council commanded the National Elections Commission (CNE) to present, within 24 hours, the minutes and notices of the partial count (those produced in the polling stations/voting tables) of eight municipalities in the country.
The controversy is due to the fact that the body managing the electoral process ( CNE ) is not in possession of the aforementioned documents.
Public opinion largely holds that the CNE carried out a general calculation of the results without any notices, but Paulo Cuinica, spokesperson for the CNE, explains that the notices requested by the Constitutional Council are kept by the District Election Commissions ( CDE’s ), since these editais are the ones used for the production of intermediate tabulation notices.
In the case of the CNE, the body uses the editais and minutes of intermediate tabulation (at district level) and provincial centralization. It is based on these documents that the body led by Carlos Matsinhe carries out national centralization and the general calculation of results. These documents, Cuinica says, are in the possession of the CNE.
It is because the requested notices are in the possession of the District Commissions that the CNE requested a 24- hour extension, to 48 hours. However, Cuinica says, the notification will only in fact be executed within 72 hours, since the notices from municipalities in the province of Niassa will only be able to reach the Mozambican capital this Saturday, due to the size of the province and the infrequency of flights to Lichinga, capital of the province of Niassa.
It should be recalled that, in the letter dated 15 November, the Constitutional Council told the CNE to present the 39 notices challenged by Renamo in Quelimane municipality and all the partial clearance notices from the municipalities of Ilha de Moçambique, Angoche, Alto-Molocué, Maganja da Costa, Matola-Rio, Cidade da Matola and the municipal districts of KaMavota, KamPfumo and KaNhlamankulu, in the city of Maputo.
While the CNE requested an extension of the deadline for the delivery of notices for eight municipalities, the Constitutional Council issued, yesterday, another notification, requiring the presentation of notices for the partial tabulation of another 11 municipalities, including the municipal districts of KaMubukwana and KaNyaka, in the city of Maputo.
A post on the CNE / STAE Facebook page (below) reads: “We intend d to inform here that each Body does its counting and prepares the respective minutes and notice in a hierarchical manner, that is, from the Voting Assembly to the District, from the District to the Province and from the Province to the CNE. Meanwhile, what the CC wants are the original minutes and notices of the Polling Stations, relating to the counting of votes, which neither the Province nor the CNE have had access to, as they are under the custody of the District Commission or City Commission. For Fair and Transparent Free Elections”
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