US embassy cable - 04MAPUTO1587

C O N F I D E N T I A L MAPUTO 001587 
 
SIPDIS 
FOR AF/FO AND AF/S 
STATE PASS MCC FOR BRIGGS AND GAULL 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/08/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, MZ, RENAMO 
SUBJECT: MOZAMBICAN GENERAL ELECTIONS: RENAMO ALLEGES 
IRREGULARITIES 
 
REF: MAPUTO 1585 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Helen La Lime for reasons 1.4 (b/d) 
 
1. (C) Senior RENAMO advisor Artur Vilankulu, accompanied by 
two other RENAMO officials, called on the Ambassador on 
December 8 to express concern over alleged irregularities in 
the December 1 - 2 general elections. The three were in the 
midst of making the rounds of various foreign embassies with 
their complaints. Vilankulu claimed that many RENAMO 
adherents were deliberately excluded during the voter 
registration phase and that there were numerous cases of 
votes for RENAMO being spoiled by polling station staff. 
Further, he said, RENAMO party representatives (by law 
entitled to observe voting and counting) were driven out of 
some polling stations, leaving predominantly FRELIMO polling 
station staff free to spoil otherwise valid RENAMO ballots. 
Vilankulu referred to statements by RENAMO chief Dhlakama 
that he would not encourage any violence, but then warned 
that tensions were high and that RENAMO party officials would 
be unable to control their supporters if they chose to take 
to the streets. (Comment: Considering RENAMO's surprisingly 
weak showing, post believes it is highly unlikely that RENAMO 
supporters will take to the streets in significant numbers. 
End Comment.) 
 
2. (C) The Ambassador immediately responded to the warning 
of violence, stressing to the RENAMO officials that she hoped 
their supporters would not respond in this way. She reminded 
them that they as leaders of the party play an important role 
in managing tension. Vilankulu quickly replied that he 
really did not expect violence. Pointing to findings by many 
observer groups, including the Embassy's, and to the National 
Observatory's parallel vote tabulation (PVT), the Ambassador 
asserted her belief that Guebuza's apparent clear lead 
reflected the will of those who voted, even if there had been 
irregularities in some areas. Although Vilankulu did not 
acknowledge that Dhlakama had lost, neither did he contest 
the Ambassador's statement. The Ambassador encouraged RENAMO 
to actively seek to position itself as a positive and 
constructive political movement. 
 
3. (SBU) Separately, press reports continue to emerge over 
alleged ballot stuffing at some polling stations in the 
provinces of Tete and Niassa. In Changara district, Tete 
province, voter turnout reached an incredible 96 percent 
across the district's 95 polling stations (the national 
average is around 40 percent). Polling station counts 
indicate that 64,562 valid votes went to Guebuza compared to 
919 to Dhlakama. Commentators claim that, in addition to the 
high turnout, the low Dhlakama figure is suspicious, given 
that in 1999 he garnered 5,337 votes in the district. RENAMO 
claims its official observers were driven out of the district 
both this year and in 1999, leaving RENAMO unable to observe 
vote counting at the polling station level where ballot 
stuffing would likely occur. The Carter Center and European 
Union observer missions are both closely following these 
allegations and have urged election officials to investigate 
and take action against any violation of electoral law (refs). 
LA LIME