US embassy cable - 05MAPUTO681

UNCLAS MAPUTO 000681 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
STATE FOR AF/S - HTREGER 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, PHUM, PREL, MZ, RENAMO, FRELIMO 
SUBJECT: MOZAMBIQUE: FRELIMO WINS MAYORAL BY-ELECTION; 
RENAMO CLAIMS FRAUD, INTIMIDATION 
 
1. (U) The ruling Frelimo party came out ahead of Renamo, the 
lead opposition party, in the May 21 by-election for mayor in 
the northern town of Mocimboa da Praia, Cabo Delgado 
province. According to official results released on May 26 
the Frelimo candidate, Amadeu Pedro, won with 53 percent 
(5,258 votes), defeating the Renamo candidate, Saide Assane, 
who garnered 47 percent (4,725 votes). There were no other 
candidates in the race. Voter turnout was higher this time 
than in the municipal elections of November 2003 (also won by 
Frelimo) - roughly 56 percent of eligible voters compared to 
44 percent then. However, the results were not as close as 
those of the 2003 mayor race, in which Frelimo narrowly beat 
Renamo by 51 to 49 percent. The by-election was called to 
fill the vacancy left after the Frelimo mayor's death in 
October of last year. Interestingly, Frelimo's Pedro was 
once a member of the opposition, serving as the first Renamo 
delegate in Mocimboa da Praia in the 1990,s. Some observers 
believe his knowledge of Renamo was a leading factor in 
Frelimo choosing him as its candidate in a municipality where 
Renamo has considerable support. 
 
2. (SBU) Immediately after the final results were announced, 
Renamo demanded that they be annulled, alleging fraud and 
intimidation. Earlier, in a May 22 press release, Renamo 
claimed that dishonest polling station staff deliberately 
invalidated over 500 Assane votes. (Comment: Renamo's claims 
resemble allegations after the 2004 nationwide general 
elections - that polling station staff had deliberately 
nullified thousands of votes for Renamo candidates. Though 
instances of ballot sabotage did occur in 2004, the level was 
well below Renamo's claims. End comment.) 
 
3. (SBU) Renamo's press release also alleged police 
intimidation, stating that a "massive" police presence 
combined with the visit of Interior Minister Jose Pacheco to 
Mocimboa da Praia served as "an affront to the freedom of 
citizens to exercise their right to vote without coercion." 
It added that police detained Renamo members and 
sympathizers, including four Renamo officials. According to 
press reports, two Renamo-appointed election officials and 
two Renamo deputies were detained for unlawful presence 
during the vote count the evening of May 21. (Note: 
Mozambican electoral law states that only polling station 
staff and accredited political party agents, journalists and 
observers are allowed present at the polling station during 
the vote count. End Note.) In addition, Embassy contacts in 
the area reported that one man was hospitalized after being 
hit by a rubber bullet fired by police. His condition was 
not considered grave, and he has since been released from the 
hospital. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment: Impartial contacts have told us they do not 
believe there were enough irregularities to influence the 
final outcome of the election. It is clear that tension 
between these two long-time political rivals remains high, 
despite Renamo's perceived loss of influence following its 
dismal showing in the 2004 nationwide general elections. 
La Lime