Mozambique’s Constitutional Council (CC) on Wednesday ordered the National Election Commission (CNE) to hand over the results sheets for ten municipalities where the outcome has been protested by the opposition Renamo, within 24 hours.
“In addition to the notification sent previously, the CNE is requested to send to this Body the 39 public results sheets protested by Renamo in the Quelimane city municipality,” demanded the CC.
For good measure, the CC, which doubles up as an electoral court during an election, also requested the results sheets from the municipalities of Nlhamankulo, Ka’Mpfumo, and Ka’Mavota (Maputo city), Matola city and Matola-rio (Maputo province), Alto-Molócuè and Maganja da Costa (Zambézia province) and Angoche and Mozambique Island (Nampula province).
For his part, the CNE Chairperson, Dom Carlos Matsinhe, ordered the Technical Secretariat for State Administration (STAE) to send the results sheets to Maputo.
Comment
The political crisis resulting from the massive fraud in the municipal elections held on 11 October continues to dominate the national political scene and legal circles. In fact, apart from demonstrations in Maputo, Matola, Quelimane and Nampula aimed at restoring the “electoral truth,” Renamo has been carrying out a significant international campaign to denounce what it considers to be an injustice, a violation of the people’s will, a threat to democracy and the danger of the country sliding into authoritarianism.
Meanwhile, the crisis in the ruling Frelimo party goes on, with more political facts added every day, including circumstances typical of the end of constitutionally-enshrined second presidential term.
This is likely to cause Frelimo to pass the buck to the CNE and crucify the highly contested Dom Carlos Matsinhe for complying with the law even if during protests arising from the rigging; alleviate the internal crisis by painting a target on the back of the CNE Chairperson currently facing public opprobrium. This option could spell a tragedy for the Head of the Anglican Church given the tone and tempers due to the position and stance he took.
In the event the CNE is unable to deliver the results sheets, the CC could proceed to annul the elections in the municipalities where Renamo has protested the results to avoid being an accomplice to an electoral crime. Renamo is likely to be happy with this option. Within Frelimo the crisis would continue, and President Filipe Nyusi could circumvent the pressures to hold an extraordinary Central Committee meeting and take the opportunity to whip the party into line, depending on whether he still has the wherewithal to do it.
Finally, Frelimo could hold on to the fraudulent results and tear up the text of national pax, worsen the internal situation and face more direct attacks to Nyusi, while Renamo materialises the veiled threat to render the country ungovernable. This option implies armed violence in an urban setting.
Nevertheless, Frelimo, the main star of the crisis, has little option, and owing to the emotional and irascible profile of the group that controls the levers of power, the final option is not to be discarded.
What remains to be seen is what will the CC consider, that is, if it has autonomy to decide, as well as how the international partners will react.
The 11 October municipal elections have become the Rubicon for a lot of political players: Frelimo either realises what the scenario means and adapts or succumbs to the weight of this incompatibility; Renamo also adapts and frees itself from the late Afonso Dhlakama’s shadow and resistance mentality and of living off the crumbs Frelimo throws it; the institutions free themselves from Frelimo’s vice grip and material subservience, and become Republican and their members start acting in conscience and in accordance with the law, or the country slides back to unprecedented levels of violence and lack of control.
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