On Wednesday, August 21, Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi enacted revisions to the electoral law, including the removal of district courts’ authority to mandate vote recounts in elections.
Nyusi promulgated and ordered the publication of the Law Establishing the Legal Framework for the Election of the President and Members of the Assembly of the Republic, as well as the Law Establishing the Legal Framework for the Election of Provincial Assembly Members and Provincial Governors, according to a statement from the Mozambican Presidency.
The statement noted that these laws, recently approved by the Assembly of the Republic, were reviewed by the President, who confirmed that they align with the constitution.
On August 8, the Mozambican parliament approved amendments that specifically stripped district courts of the power to order vote recounts—a move that has faced criticism from various groups, including the Mozambican Association of Judges (AMJ).
Previously, the electoral law had been amended to prevent district courts from ordering repeat votes, following a decision by the Constitutional Council (CC) that invalidated such orders in the October 11 local elections. This was particularly contentious in Maputo, where opposition parties challenged the election results.