The electoral campaign for the general elections of October 9, which kicked off yesterday, Saturday (24), throughout the country, with four candidates for the Presidency of the Republic and 37 political forces competing in the legislative and provincial elections, registered cases of vandalization of materials and clashes in some places.

According to a publication by the Center for Public Integrity (CIP), which is monitoring the process, on the first day of the campaign alone there were more than 20 cases of vandalized campaign materials. Frelimo, as CIP points out, is the party that has had the most materials vandalized, followed by Renamo and then MDM.

"There have also been reports of campaign materials being placed in inappropriate places, such as traffic lights, people's homes and public institutions," says CIP, adding that the biggest vandalization of Frelimo leaflets was in Matola-Rio.

CIP goes on to say that in Magude district, Maputo province, Frelimo members vandalized materials and provoked Renamo elements, characterizing it as "political intolerance". "The two parties almost came to physical confrontations. One Frelimo member threatened Renamo members with a machete," he emphasized.

Also in Nacala-à-Velha, there were clashes in the early hours of Saturday morning involving Frelimo and MDM members and sympathizers, resulting in injuries. "It all started when members and sympathizers of the Frelimo party, led by the district secretary of the OJM, went to the 25 de Setembro field and ordered the MDM members, who were already there, to leave, claiming that only the Frelimo party could stick leaflets there," explained CIP, quoting its correspondents.

More than 17 million voters are registered to vote, including 333,839 registered abroad, according to data from the National Electoral Commission (CNE).

(Photo DR)