2009 Elections Mozambique Political Process Bulletin

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Number 1
11 September 2009
www.elections2009.cip.org.mz
Editor: Joseph Hanlon (j.hanlon@open.ac.uk)
Deputy editor: Adriano Nuvunga Research assistant: Tânia Frechauth
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Published by CIP, Centro de Integridade Pública and AWEPA, the European Parliamentarians for Africa
Material may be freely reprinted. Please cite the Bulletin.
To subscribe in English: http://tinyurl.com/mz-en-sub Para assinar em Português: http://tinyurl.com/mz-pt-sub
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MDM to stand in only four provinces
Frelimo and Renamo will be the only parties to stand for national parliament in all provinces. The National Elections Commission was obliged to announce the definitive candidates lists by Saturday 5 September. Some approved lists appeared on the CNE’s notice board shortly before midnight on Saturday, and the rest on Sunday morning.
For national elections, there are 13 constituencies -- each of the 10 provinces, Maputo city, and two for Mozambicans abroad. Parties submit separate lists of candidates for each constituency, with names of at least three more candidates that there are seats. Candidates are excluded if they have not submitted all the required documents, and lists are rejected if there are not enough candidates remaining. Only Frelimo and Renamo had all their lists accepted.
The biggest surprise was that the MDM’s lists were disqualified in 9 constituencies and only accepted in Maputo City, Inhambane, Sofala and Niassa. 19 parties will stand in at least one constituency. The table below gives the full list of parties and constituencies in which they will stand.
The order on the ballot paper is determined by lot, first among those parties standing in all constituencies (which will be Frelimo and then Renamo), and then among the remaining parties.
There will also be elections for 10 provincial assemblies or parliaments on 28 October (Maputo city already has a city assembly and so will not have a provincial assembly). In the provinces, each district is a constituency.
MDM failed to supply key documents
The exclusion of the MDM from the election in most provinces was due to its failure to supply essential documents for its candidates, such as evidence of residence and no criminal record. Lists can be accepted only if they have as many qualified candidates as there are seats, plus three extra. Many parties include significantly more names, just in case some candidates are disqualified, but in some places the MDM apparently failed to do this, meaning lists were rejected for having too few candidates.
The MDM election agent Jose Manuel de Sousa in two letters to the CNE admitted irregularities in the documents submitted for many candidates, and asked the CNE to bend the law to allow candidates to be accepted.
The MDM submitted a protest to the Constitutional Council, but yesterday (Thursday) this was not accepted.
In a meeting between diplomats and the CNE President, Joao Leopoldo da Costa, Thursday, the US charge d’affaires in Mozambique, Todd Chapman, demanded “inclusive” elections in Mozambique. He said he was not interested in “legal details”. But Leopoldo da Costa noted that last year, during the municipal elections, the CNE had been “pragmatic” towards parties that submitted papers late – and had been criticized by the Constitutional Council for its failure to apply the law strictly. He added that a number of new and small parties had successfully submitted candidates lists for more provinces than the MDM.
Two articles from AIM giving more details of the meeting with diplomats and of MDM problems in providing correct documents are posted on our website: http://www.elections2009.cip.org.mz
There have also been serious criticisms about the lack of transparency and lack of information as to which names were rejected and why. Speaking Thursday on STV, CNE member António Chipanga said it was illegal for the CNE to publish reasons for rejection. Leopoldo da Costa told the diplomats that CNE’s full decisions would be published in Boletim da Republica, but this may not say any more than “insufficient documents.”
Comment
An independent audit of the electoral process is essential
Transparency has again come to the fore in Mozambican elections, following the rejection by the National Elections Commission (CNE) of lists of candidates for the 28 October election. Step by step, transparency has been improving. But four areas have remained problematic: the electoral register, limits imposed on election observation, counting of results, and application of the electoral calendar. Each of these has transparency problems that could compromise the justice of the results, and they must be dealt with if the electoral process is to be improved and guarantee that the elections are seen to be free, fair, and legitimate.
A fifth area of tension has now been put on the table, namely the verification of the candidates. Lack of transparency feeds suspicions that the process can be manipulated to exclude certain parties. Verification or rejection of a candidate is a process based on the interpretation of the electoral law. The law can be interpreted in ways that are partial or hostile, or even pedagogic. The question is whether or not all legal possibilities were exhausted in order to ensure the most legitimate election possible, guaranteeing Mozambicans a free and fair choice.
Is the legislation so strict that it does not give adequate time for parties to resolve irregularities identified by the CNE? Or are the parties too disorganised? Has the CNE given equal treatment to all parties? Have all possible appeals and time for correction been exhausted?
Explanations given by the CNE so far are unsatisfactory. Many key questions linked to interpretation of the electoral laws, calendars, and legal decisions in past elections need to be answered in detail. It is urgent that the CNE publish and give to the media a detailed report on this phase of the process, with clear explanations of how the legislation was applied. This should be done before any CNE ruling on an MDM protest.
One way in which the electoral process – and the electoral administration – could regain credibility and public confidence would be through an independent audit of the process of exclusion of parties and lists. If this is not done, a smell of partiality will continue to hang over the electoral process, and many Mozambicans will feel that they do not actually have a right to make a free choice in these elections.
Marcelo Mosse, Executive Director, CIP
Political Parties approved by CNE to stand in at least some constituencies
PLD – Partido de Liberdade e Desenvolvimento – Party of Freedom and Development
ECOLOGISTA – MT – Partido Ecologista Movimento de Terra – Ecologist Party and Land Movement
FRELIMO
RENAMO – Resistência Nacional de Moçambique
PAZS – Partido de Solidariedade e Liberdade – Party of Solidarity and Liberty
MPD – Partido Movimento Patriótico para Democracia -- Patriotic Movement for Democracy
PARENA – Partido de Reconciliação Nacional – National Reconciliation Party
MDM – Partido Movimento Democrático de Moçambique – Mozambique Democratic Movement (Daviz Simango)
ALIMO- Partido de Aliança Independente de Moçambique – Independent Alliance of Mozambique
PT- Partido Trabalhista – Workers Party
UDM- Partido União Democrática de Moçambique – Union of Mozambican Democrats
PDD- Partido para Paz Democracia e Desenvolvimento – Party for Peace, Development and Democracy (Raul Domingos)
PVM- Partido os Verdes de Moçambique – Mozambique Green Party
PANAMOC- Partido Nacional dos Operários e Camponeses – National Workers and Peasants Party
UM- Partido União para a Mudança – Union for Change
PRDS – Partido de Reconciliação Democrática Social – Party of Social and Democratic Reconciliation
PPD- Partido Popular de Desenvolvimento – Popular Democratic Party
Approved coalitions of political parties
ADACD- Coligação Aliança Democrática de Antigos Combatentes – Democratic Alliance for Veterans for Development
UE- Coligação União Eleitoral – Electoral Union
Parties and coalitions totally rejected by the CNE
Political parties:
PIMO – Partido Independente de Moçambique
SOL – Partido Social e Liberal democrático
PASOMO – Partido de Ampliação Social
PCD – Partido conservador democrático
PPLM – Partido Progressista Liberal
PANAMO – Partido Nacional de Moçambique
Coalitions:
UNO – Coligação União Nacional de Oposição
UD – Coligação União democrática
UPM – Coligação Unidos por Moçambique
Our error – CNE did not miss deadline
In issue 42 of the Mozambique Political Process Bulletin we said that the CNE had missed the deadline for posting candidates lists. This is not correct. The harmonisation law revised the calendar, and the new deadline was 5 September. Apologies to our readers and the CNE.
Special election coverage
with 100 journalists
This is the first of our special election editions. During the election period we will have more than 100 journalists reporting from all parts of Mozambique, and we will publish more frequent Bulletins.
Our website has been upgraded. For rapid election news:
In English: http://www.elections2009.cip.org.mz
Em Português: http://www.eleicoes2009.cip.org.mz
A complete file of election bulletins is available:
In English: http://www.bulletin.cip.org.mz
Em Português: http://www.boletim.cip.org.mz
We are encouraging the public to report any incidents or problems. “Correspondentes Populares” can send text messages to 82 986 5659 or 84 386 5659
or e-mails to eleicoes2009mz@gmail.com
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Mozambique Political Process Bulletin
Editor: Joseph Hanlon (j.hanlon@open.ac.uk)
Deputy editor: Adriano Nuvunga -- Research assistant: Tânia Frechauth
Material may be freely reprinted and circulated. Please cite the Bulletin.
Published by CIP, Centro de Integridade Pública and AWEPA, the European Parliamentarians for Africa
___________________________________________________________________________________
To subscribe: Para assinar:
In English: http://tinyurl.com/mz-en-sub
Em Português: http://tinyurl.com/mz-pt-sub
To unsubscribe: http://tinyurl.com/mz-en-unsub
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Also on the web: Também na internet:
In English: News on the elections: http://www.elections2009.cip.org.mz
Previous issues of the Bulletin: http://www.bulletin.cip.org.mz
Em Português: Noticias sobre as Eleições: http://www.eleicoes2009.cip.org.mz
Boletims anteriores: http://www.boletim.cip.org.mz
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Correspondentes populares -- Envie a sua mensagem
82 986 5659 ou 84 386 5659 ou eleicoes2009mz@gmail.com
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