The "Mais Integridade" consortium, which brings together seven Mozambican civil society organizations, reported "abusive, chilling and shameful episodes that discredit" the results of the local elections.

"In a year in which Mozambique is marking 33 years of democratization, the electoral management authorities, political parties and other stakeholders have once again shown their lack of ethics, transparency and democratic maturity," the consortium said in a statement, stressing that it had observers of the electoral process in all 65 municipalities that went to the polls on October 11.

"An observer of the process, he closely followed the vote and witnessed, through his correspondents and observers present in all 65 municipalities in the country, abusive, chilling and shameful episodes that discredit and call into question the results that have been published by the electoral authorities," says the consortium, which has called a press conference on these complaints for Monday (16.10).

"Undeniably, the police have once again shown their aggressiveness and partisan leanings, violating the most basic constitutional rights and treating human life lightly. The gross irregularities perpetrated by various actors did not need the complicity of the darkness of night, but were carried out consciously, deliberately and complicitly in broad daylight, showing the widespread breakdown of social values such as respect for others, integrity and justice," the statement added.

In recent days, the district and provincial election commissions have released the results of the intermediate vote tabulation in 46 municipalities, with the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO, the country's ruling party) winning in 45 - most of which were strongly contested by opposition parties and civil society observers - and the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM, the second opposition party) retaining Beira, Sofala province. (DW//Lusa)