The electoral crisis in Mozambique was one of the main topics of debate and analysis of the heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community, meeting in Zimbabwe.
The leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) expressed, this Wednesday, in Harare, their condemnation and concern about the escalation of post-electoral violence in Mozambique, the Zimbabwean press reports.
The electoral crisis in Mozambique was one of the main topics of debate and analysis of the heads of state and government of the SADC, who met this Wednesday at an extraordinary summit in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe, the country that holds the rotating presidency of the subregional organization.
The Zimbabwean newspaper Sunday Mail quoted, in its online edition this Wednesday, the executive secretary of the SADC, Elias Magosi, stating that the deterioration of the electoral process in Mozambique was not “foreseeable.”
“We did not expect that the electoral process could deteriorate to the point of causing serious conflicts, disruptions to economic activity, threats to people’s lives and even loss of life, in addition to material and infrastructure damage,” highlighted Elías Magosi, in the construction opening intervention.
“There are appropriate structures under the electoral laws and the Constitution of the Member States that deal with complaints and inquiries about elections. We call on all those who feel harmed by the electoral process to follow these legal procedures and guarantee the security of citizens and the stability of the country,” added the executive secretary.
According to a DW correspondent in Harare, SADC leaders have decided to wait to see whether the dialogue proposed by Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi with the four presidential candidates will take place before taking concrete steps regarding the post-election crisis. from Mozambique.
“If this dialogue fails, SADC will begin its mediation by sending a mediator to Mozambique,” Privilege Musvanhiri reported, without citing sources.
Only four SADC heads of state participated in the summit, including the presidents of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Tshisekedi of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina, and the newly elected president of Botswana, Duma Boko.
Other member states sent lower-level delegations which, according to former Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Walter Mzembi, represented a message to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Sunday Mail highlights.
“There is an important message to convey to the Zimbabwe SADC presidency,” Mzembi said, stating: “Regional leaders are calling on Zimbabwe to resolve issues of interference in the internal affairs of member states.”
Mzembi specifically referred to allegations that Zimbabwe facilitated electoral irregularities in Mozambique, with allegations that Mozambican identity cards were distributed to Zimbabweans to influence the election outcome.
Mzembi’s statement is in line with the appeal that presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane presented this Wednesday before the Constitutional Council of Mozambique, in which he requests the annulment of the vote in the Zimbabwe constituency.
Mondlane states that 296,519 Zimbabweans “without active electoral capacity” voted in that constituency.
According to the appeal presented by Judite Simão, representative of Venâncio Mondlane, the “annulment of the presidential elections” of October 9 in the constituency of the neighboring country is invoked, citing data from the report of the High Commission of Human Rights Lawyers of South Africa in Mozambique, which claims that number of Zimbabweans voted “illegally.”
Venâncio Mondlane questions the attribution of victory to Daniel Chapo, candidate supported by the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo, in power), with 70.67% of the votes, according to the results announced on October 24 by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) and that still must be validated by the Constitutional Council.
Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane on Tuesday called on Mozambicans to observe three days of national mourning for the “50 fatalities” of the post-election demonstrations, starting this Wednesday, including stops and honking horns for 15 minutes.
According to the online edition of The Zimbabwe Mail newspaper, which also mentions criticism for alleged interference in the Mozambican electoral process, the violence in Mozambique, which has left dozens dead, “has affected relations in the region.”
Source: Observadora
