MOZA ELECTIONS UPDATE: EU EOM flags down irregularities during vote counting, unjustified changing of election results

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) started its activities in Mozambique on 1 September 2024 and deployed 179 observers for election day.

Since releasing its preliminary statement on 11 October, the EU EOM has continued to observe the electoral process.

Though EU observers were barred from observing tabulation processes in some districts and provinces, as well as at the national level, overally they were on the ground.

Read the full statement below:

To date, the EU EOM has noted irregularities during counting and unjustified alteration of election results at polling station and district level.

As a measure to contribute to the trust and integrity of the electoral process, the EU EOM reiterates its call to the electoral bodies to conduct the tabulation process in a transparent and credible manner, ensuring the traceability of polling station results.

Chief Observer Laura Ballarín stated that “the publication of disaggregated results by polling station is not only a matter of good practice, but also a strong safeguard for the integrity of results”.

In view of the social tensions and electoral related violence witnessed in recent days, the EU EOM reiterates its condemnation of the killings of Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe, and wishes to call for utmost restraint by all and for the respect for fundamental freedoms and political rights.

The EU EOM considers that it is the responsibility of the electoral administration to clarify the irregularities and of the Constitutional Council to address them during the validation of results process, in respect of the will of voters.

The EU EOM will remain in Mozambique to follow the next phases of the electoral process. It will later issue a final report, including its assessment and recommendations for improvement of the electoral framework.

Source: European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) in Mozambique / Press Release