AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - After lengthy counting of votes FRELIMO is declared the winner. Jimmy Carter and other international observers denounce irregularities. The new President confirms policy for national peace

Wednesday, 22 December 2004

Maputo (Fides Service) - Armando Guebuza member of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) party in power for 20 years, won presidential elections with almost 64% of the votes. The result was announced yesterday by the National Electoral Commission.
The new president, designated successor of outgoing President Joaquim Chissano, defeated his main adversary Alfonso Dhlakama of the former rebel group Mozambique National Resistance (RENAMO) who obtained 32 per cent of the votes cast for the elections held 1 and 2 December.
Outgoing president Chissano, in power since 1986, decided not to stand for presidency this time. Dhlakama’s Party and 20 smaller opposition parties, accused the party in power of fraud and called for a repeat of the elections. Irregularities were noted also by teams of outside observers from the United States and the European Union although they said the irregularities note probably had no effect on the final outcome of the vote. In a statement former US president Jimmy Carter, who led a team of observers, said that although the irregularities noted do not nullify the result “they do undermine the credibility of the electoral authorities”. Carter also spoke of isolated episodes of intimidation. The Carter Centre is in agreement with doubts expressed yesterday by a team of EU observers who said a number of seats in parliament would have been diversely assigned if the counting of the votes had been correct.
Initially the results were supposed to be announced on 17 December, the delay in the announcement was due to logistic problems and threats from RENAMO to boycott the electoral process. The president of the electoral commission, Arao Litsure, said the winning party will have 160 of the 250 seats in Parliament and the other 90 will go to the main opposition party. Litsure also said that only 36% of eligible voters cast their vote.
The new President Guebuza, a 60 year old business man, will take office in January. He has vowed to continue economic reforms started by his predecessor Chissano and appreciated by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. He also promised to consolidate peace and certain institutions which can be considered as models of democratic reform in the region. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 22/12/2004 righe 34 parole 408)


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