There is a climate of tension in the National Electoral Commission (CNE) around the promulgation in the Boletim da República last Thursday (12) of resolution number 76/CNE/2024, which changes the characteristics of the ballot box slots for the presidential, legislative and provincial assembly elections scheduled for October 9..

In a publication by VOAThe vice-president of the body, Fernando Mazanga, says he doesn't know the origin of the document to change the characteristics, requested by the CNE from the Assembly of the Republic, supposedly without the consensus of the members of the board.

Mazanga denies that the issue was brought up for debate in plenary and approved without consensus: "We are concerned about the origin of this resolution, I know that I have colleagues who, if it were in writing, would be signing with me this distancing from that position, we do have difficulties in implementing it, but we want it to be done through the body itself with the legislator saying we can't do it."

The revision of the electoral legislation was approved unanimously and by acclamation in the Assembly of the Republic by the three parties with parliamentary representation, namely Frelimo, the ruling party, the National Resistance of Mozambique (RENAMO) and the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) at the end of April, and was subsequently promulgated by the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi in mid-August.

Among several articles that have been revised, one of them is 54 concerning ballot box types. A change in characteristics has been defined, with the use of transparent ballot boxes with a slot that allows the insertion of a single ballot paper per voter, unlike the previous ones.

Following the entry into force of the new electoral law, the Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) presented the CNE with difficulties in making the law viable, citing as reasons the fact that it had acquired almost 15,000 ballot boxes of the old model, which were in the process of being cleared to complete the 64,000 needed for the ballot, the remainder of which were left over from the last electoral process.

As a difficulty, STAE also complained about the short time it had to set in motion the administrative processes culminating in the contracting, production and transportation of the new ballot boxes, which as a rule takes at least 45 days for production and 90 days for transportation to the national territory, and the lack of funds to purchase new ballot boxes, given the budget review.

"So we decided to have a meeting with the political parties to share. However, they were categorical in saying that the law was made to be complied with, so the CNE has nothing else to do but comply with the law," he said.

He stressed that in view of the position of the parties, the body presented the concern to the Assembly of the Republic, as the legislative body. "The president of the AR was flexible and during the analysis, it was concluded that she should convene the standing committee so that she could analyze the issue with the members who were in Maputo."

However, Mazanga is surprised by the promulgation on September 12 in the BR of the resolution dictating the maintenance of the old ballot boxes, arguing that the decision was approved by consensus by the members of the CNE.

"We have distanced ourselves from this resolution, there are people in the CNE who act in bad faith, we have swallowed a lot in the name of maintaining harmony within the organization, but there comes a time when we see that we are sinking the ship, the CNE's responsibility is greater to bring about free, fair and transparent elections."

(Photo DR)