Observers concerned about unresolved issues on election eve

As Mozambicans prepare to cast their ballots on Wednesday in presidential and parliamentary elections, poll observers remain worried about outstanding problems of transparency in the final tabulation of votes. "We hope there will be no dark corners," said Javier Pomes, head of the European Union observation mission, reflecting the view of many other international observers. "We want to see this hope confirmed." Over the past two weeks observer delegations from the Carter Center, the European Union and the Mozambican Electoral Observatory, among others, have been engaged in discussions with the National Elections Commission (CNE). All observers noted that while there had been substantial progress during the course of the talks, they were still not entirely satisfied that there were safeguards against fraud at all stages of the electoral process. Former US president Jimmy Carter, who is leading the Carter Center delegation, stopped short of saying that all the issues had been addressed. "Most of the concerns, from the point of view of the international observers, have been resolved satisfactorily," Carter told journalists in Maputo, adding that "we will have to see when the election occurs", as to what other concerns might arise. Observers have expressed doubts about the introduction of a computerised vote-tabulation system at a late stage of the election process. CNE staff began writing the software in September, and a security audit by an independent company was only completed on Friday. The observation missions are generally satisfied that the system is tamper-proof. However, the Mozambique Political Process Bulletin noted: "The auditors made clear that their checks of the computer software did not cover the final tabulation steps, and changes to the data that will be agreed in Maputo by the National Election Commission. Thus the gaps noted here in the past - relating to corrections to the database, and inclusion of polling stations where there are problems with results sheets - remain." Other observers endorsed the views of the Bulletin, which is published by European Parliamentarians for Africa. The Bulletin also cited concerns about the lack of observer access to the final tabulation of votes, when the CNE may reject the results from entire polling stations on the basis of errors or inconsistencies in the results sheets from those stations. In the 1999 presidential poll, the CNE omitted almost seven percent of polling stations from the count. If the gap between the ruling party, FRELIMO, and the main opposition, RENAMO, continues to narrow, as it has done in previous years, CNE arbitration could swing the result. Moreover, a lack of clear data about the number of polling stations could thwart attempts to verify how many polling stations had been included in the final count. Observers also worry that a rule barring them from talking to voters in the immediate vicinity of a polling station would make it difficult for them to establish whether voters had, for example, been told they were not on the electoral roll at the station where they thought they were registered. "It is not normal that observers are not allowed to talk to voters within 300 metres of the polling station," Pomes said. "This limits our ability to do our job." FRELIMO presidential candidate Armando Guebuza, speaking at the party's closing rally at Machava stadium in the capital, Maputo, on Sunday, promised that the poll would be "free, fair, transparent and, above all, credible." RENAMO, however, has doubts about the government's commitment to a free and fair poll, and is particularly suspicious of the CNE's motives in introducing the computer system at such a late stage. "If there is fraud, this will be the third time there is fraud," RENAMO leader and presidential candidate Afonso Dhlakama told journalists on Monday, claiming that he had been the rightful winner of Mozambique's first two presidential elections. However, he added that he was committed to struggling peacefully for democracy. "It is for the people of Mozambique to claim their rights." In his speech to a half-full stadium on Sunday, Guebuza concentrated on the FRELIMO government's post-war achievements, mentioning the construction of schools, hospitals and water points, and the increase in foreign investment Mozambique has enjoyed since 1992. He avoided mentioning RENAMO by name, but made several references to damage done to Mozambique by "the war of destabilisation", waged by RENAMO for 16 years when it was a rebel movement backed by apartheid South Africa.