The Sala da Paz, a coalition of electoral observer organizations, expressed concerns about inadequate conditions for vote counting during Mozambique’s general elections on Wednesday, particularly due to poor lighting in many polling stations. In a statement, the coalition noted that 33.3% of the 3,717 stations monitored by their 800 observers lacked sufficient lighting during the counting process.
Additionally, observers reported incidents where polling staff were caught attempting to add extra ballots, as well as delays in the voting process and disruptions caused by large numbers of last-minute voters. The election involved more than 184,500 polling staff across 8,737 stations in Mozambique and 334 abroad.
Renamo, the country’s second-largest political party, raised concerns about the exclusion of its members from polling stations and urged electoral authorities to address irregularities. The Sala da Paz platform also warned that the limited presence of party delegates at polling stations could undermine the transparency of the elections.
The National Electoral Commission (CNE) has up to 15 days to announce the presidential results, which will then be validated by the Constitutional Council. In addition to the presidential vote, elections were held for 250 legislative seats, provincial assemblies, and 794 provincial governor positions.