U.S. Embassy
Avenida Kenneth Kaunda, 193
Caixa Postal, 783
Maputo
MOZAMBIQUE
PRESS RELEASE
Embassy Statement on Mayoral By-Election in Nampula
February 2, 2018 –We congratulate the people of Nampula city for their participation in the January 24, 2018, mayoral by-election. Based on the observations of our accredited election observation team members, this election appeared to be largely free, fair, and credible. The irregularities that we observed likely did not materially impact the results.
Notably, we observed: the campaign and Election Day itself were generally peaceful and calm; media coverage was for the most part inclusive; and there were no reported observations of police interfering in campaign or voting activities. Large-scale, coordinated efforts by civil society organizations to observe the campaign and elections were also commendable and demonstrated the commitment of the Mozambican people to civic engagement. We also commend the work of the polling station staff who worked tirelessly and continuously from the early morning through the night on Election Day despite many challenges. As the people of Nampula, electoral bodies, and other relevant entities prepare for the next stage of the electoral process, we encourage all stakeholders and political parties to maintain this calm and orderly atmosphere so that the citizens of Nampula and mayoral candidates can fully participate in the democratic process.
While we noted a number of technical and administrative problems related to polling procedures, there was no evidence to suggest that any of the anomalies observed reflect systematic issues sufficient to undermine the fundamental integrity of the elections. As Mozambique prepares for the challenge of holding nationwide municipal elections in October this year it will be important for the National Electoral Commission and the Technical Secretariat for the Administration of Elections and other stakeholders, including all the political parties that participate in the work of these electoral bodies, to take the lessons learned from this election and apply them to improve electoral procedures.
For more information about this press release, please contact the U.S. Embassy Maputo Press Office at MaputoPress@state.gov.
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