Mozambique’s president admitted this Friday to “some shortcomings” in the latest local elections, justifying episodes strongly contested by the opposition with the fact that the country is “still a young democracy”.
“We acknowledge that there were some shortcomings. We are a nation still in its infancy. We are a democracy that is still young,” said the Mozambican head of state during a welcoming ceremony for the diplomatic corps accredited to the country on the occasion of the New Year 2024 at the Ponta Vermelha Palace in Maputo.
Mozambique’s sixth local elections, held last October, were bitterly contested by the opposition, which did not accept the official results, and civil society, which alleged fraud, with the Constitutional Council (CC), the highest body of electoral justice, admitting some anomalies and the need to revise the electoral legislation, especially in terms of clarifying the powers of the courts of first instance.
“In these elections, we saw in Mozambique the strength and freedom to express our views before, during and after the electoral period,” said the Mozambican President.
Filipe Nyusi also acknowledged that there were “specific cases” in which the police had to “calm anger” to avoid violence, believing that all complaints filed by opposition political forces “deserved due legal consideration.”
Despite the criticism, Filipe Nyusi believed the review showed “progress” in consolidating the democratic system in Mozambique and reiterated the need for changes to the law if necessary.
“Strengthening the rule of law requires the contribution of all of us, constant critical assessment, without emotions and imitations that are far from the truth,” the head of state emphasized, repeating that the decision, if necessary, remains with the Mozambicans. , on changes in electoral legislation.
In the vote on October 11 last year, the ruling Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo) was declared the winner in 60 municipalities out of 65, with the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) winning four and the Mozambique Democratic Movement one.
The country is preparing for general elections this year, including a seventh presidential election in which Mozambique’s current president, Filipe Nyusi, can no longer run under the constitution.
The vote is scheduled for October 9 and will cost about 6.500 million metises (96.3 million euros), according to the allocations included by the government in the draft state budget for 2024.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.