In the first ten days, until Saturday, the electoral register registered 1.8 million voters, which represents 18% of the projection of 9.9 million, the STAE (Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration) said today (May 2) at a press conference.

There are 3192 brigades that have registered an average of 180,805 citizens per day, or 57 people per brigade-day. The flow is highest in Gaza - 29% of the target - and lowest in three provinces where there is traditionally strong support for the opposition - Nampula, Tete and Zambézia - which registered only 15% of the target.

More women than men registered - 947,637 women compared to 860,416 men. The STAE admits that at first there were problems with the computers and printers, but that today all the census offices are open and that the problems have been "drastically" reduced in recent days.

But the reports from our correspondents in all the municipalities have conflicting information. Some posts they visited today were not open or not operational. And the card printers continue to be a major problem.

Correspondents report posts that have not printed cards for the last three or four days. They report that at least a fifth of the registration offices have problems with the supply of materials or technical problems, mainly with the printing of voter cards.

The problem of printing cards was so serious in Gurue and Chiúre that STAE moved the printing equipment to its warehouses and printed cards overnight.

This caused a huge outcry because it meant that electoral processes were being carried out without observers from political parties and civil society, and even without the parties' knowledge.

Allegations emerged that cards were being printed for people who had not registered, to be used to vote for Frelimo.

Instructions were given for all registration activities to be carried out at the registration posts during opening hours, from 08.00 to 16.00. Meanwhile, the director-general of STAE and other officials are in Zambezia today investigating the real reasons for what happened.

Text: CIP