Mozambique bishop calls for non-partisan electoral bodies

Methodist bishop Dinis Matsolo issued a call on Wednesday for the removal of political parties from the Mozambican National Elections Commission (CNE), as well as its executive branch, the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE).

Speaking at the opening of a national seminar, held to assess October’s general and provincial elections, Matsolo urged that “When there are players who are also referees, there will always be problems”. He also called for further consideration of alternative forms of election management.

Under the current system the CNE consists of five representatives from the ruling Frelimo Party, four members of the opposition party, Renamo, and one appointee of the secondary opposition party, the Mozambique Democratic Movement. The remaining seven members of the CNE are members of the public, but are chosen by the country’s parliament and so in effect the main political parties.

STAE is overseen by a full-time and impartial general director, but assisted by two deputy general directors: one from Frelimo and one from Renamo. In election periods these directors are supported by six deputy national directors and 18 additional staff members, all drawn from the major parties.

Matsolo decried at the seminar that this system leads to unnecessary polarisation.

"There is an impression that elections belong to Frelimo and Renamo when, in reality, they belong to all of us”, he said.

He added that persistent electoral disputes call into question the credibility and integrity of Mozambican elections.

"We are worried that the same mistakes are made election after election. Hence the need to assess our experiences since, without this assessment, we run the risk of committing the same mistakes again”.