Mozambique: Dhlakama blames loss on 1000s of voters brought from outside

“A massive presence” of people from outside all 43 municipalities who were brought in by the lorry-load in order to vote for Frelimo explains Renamo’s defeat, Renamo president Afonso Dhlakama told a press conference early Monday afternoon. This “flood” of outsiders was allowed to vote because all the people who were hired as polling station staff were members or sympathisers of Frelimo, he added. In response to media questions, he stressed he is not reconsidering his position because this was a victory “fabricated” by Frelimo, and not a real defeat of Renamo.

Meanwhile, the Renamo candidate for mayor of Montepuez, Tomé Fernando, toldNotícias (22 November) that the election clearly was not fair because the result did not reflect the will of the people, because he did not win.

In his press conference, Dhlakama gave no details, except to claim this happened everywhere. But in support of the claim, Renamo did circulate an alleged document from the Frelimo central election office giving orientations to party cells. The document says that the main task of party cells is to ensure that all party members vote, and encourage others to vote for Frelimo. The document goes to great lengths to stress that Frelimo members must obey the law and not campaign openly on 17 and 18 November. On polling day, in encouraging people to vote for Frelimo, party members must always stay more than 300 metres from the polling stations, as required by law. Thus Renamo distributed a clear and sensible document, which is probably real, and in no way supports Renamo claims of planned massive fraud.