MOZAMBIQUE: FRELIMO WINS MAYORAL BY-ELECTION;

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