Mozambique: High turnout for local elections
Long queues of people waiting to vote in most municipalities have been reported by our correspondents. In general polling stations opened on time and have been well organised, with only minor problems. In Beira, where independent candidate Daviz Simango had warned of possible police intimidation, our correspondent reports that police were “nearly invisible”. There are long queues and voting is going smoothly.
Long queues of people waiting to vote in most municipalities have been reported by our correspondents. In general polling stations opened on time and have been well organised, with only minor problems.
In Beira, where independent candidate Daviz Simango had warned of possible police intimidation, our correspondent reports that police were “nearly invisible”. There are long queues and voting is going smoothly.
But there were complaints of police too close to polling stations in several places, including Lichinga and Xai Xai.
There are a few reports of polling stations opening up to 30 minutes late. This is not normally serious, but rain and enthusiasm caused problems in Sofala. At Agostinho Neto primary school in Beira, when the 4 polling stations had not opened by 7.20, voters invaded the school classrooms, causing two minor injuries. In Dondo at Eduardo Mondlane primary school, voters anxious to get out of the rain pushed into the classroom before the polling station opened.
In three municipalities in Gaza there were complaints of campaigning in queues and of election materials in polling stations.