Mozambique: Beira Archbishop calls for electoral campaigns devoid of hate speech and aggression
Roger Maduca – Beira with Pope
Taking into account the historical violence associated with the electoral campaigns in Mozambique, the Archbishop of Beira, Claudio Dalla Zuanna, called on the country’s political leaders to use the electoral campaign period to disclose their political policies and not an occasion for verbal aggression or hate speech.
Electoral body and the police must uphold the law
The Mozambican prelate also took time to address himself to the country’s National Election Commission and the police urging the two institutions to exercise impartiality and respect the electoral laws. A peaceful and fair electoral environment, the Archbishop said, engenders citizens’ confidence and reduces on voter absenteeism.
Municipal elections of October 2023 were marred by protests that resulted in a strong-handed police response that resulted in the loss of at least four lives. The National Election Commission declared FRELIMO the winner of 64 out of the 65 contested positions, winning even in areas known to be RENAMO party strongholds.
Parallel vote tabulations by independent bodies seemed to dispute the final results announced by the national electoral body.
Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here
