ELECTION OBSERVERS FAULT PROCESS, PRAISE VOTERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 001205

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2019
TAGS: KDEM MZ PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: ELECTION OBSERVERS FAULT PROCESS, PRAISE VOTERS

Classified By: ACTING DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION JEREMY NEITZKE FOR REASON
S 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Interim election assessments released on
October 30 by international and domestic election observer
missions in Mozambique focused their criticisms on the lack
of transparency of the National Electoral Commission (CNE),
but largely assessed that voting on election day had been
carried out in a well-managed and calm way. While only a few
observer missions*the African Union and the Southern African
Development Community's Parliamentary Forum*went so far as
to label the elections "free and fair," the more critical
statements from other observation missions failed to meet the
expectations of many in the diplomatic community, who were
looking for a stronger message to the ruling party. The EU
Ambassadors expressed particularly disappointment with their
own EU observation mission, believing that it was pressured
by European Parliamentaians from Spain and Portugal to tone
down any criticism. END SUMMARY.

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ELECTION OBSERVERS RELEASE PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENTS
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2. (SBU) On October 30 domestic and international observer
missions including the Commonwealth, the European Union (EU),
the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA),the
Southern African Development Community, and the African Union
released preliminary assessments of Mozambique's October 28
general elections. Most observer groups released preliminary
assessments during press conferences attended by local media
and the diplomatic community, with full reports not expected
until January 2010.

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LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, VOTER CHOICE
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3. (SBU) The focus of the observer missions' criticisms
was the lack of transparency in the National Electoral
Commission's (CNE) decision to exclude parties from the
parliamentary elections. The Commonwealth, EISA, and the EU
all called for a more "level playing field" in Mozambican
politics in order to increase confidence and encourage fully
inclusive multi-party democracy in Mozambique. The EU
further stated that the absence of transparency resulted in
constrained voter choice at the local level. The statements,
however, also praised Mozambican voters and the conduct of
election day itself, highlighting that voting was largely
well-managed and calm. The reports noted that the election
allowed freedom of association, expression, assembly, and
movement, as well as universal suffrage.


4. (SBU) Only two interim statements concluded the
election was largely "free and fair"- SADC's Parliamentary
Forum and the EU Parliamentary Observers. These two missions
were present for just the day of the election -- other
missions noted that SADC-PF members did not even stay at the
polling stations through the counting process, suggesting
their conclusions were less valid.

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EISA CRITICISM
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4. (SBU) EISA's interim release appears the most critical
of the process. In addition to echoing the call for greater
transparency by the CNE, the assessment discusses how in many
districts FRELIMO ran unopposed for the provincial
assemblies, stating "this development undermines political
competition and concentrates political power in one or at
least two main players with dire consequences for the
deepening multi-party democracy in Mozambique." It also
notes that long queues reported at the polling stations were
due less to increased turnout than to a "slow voting
process;" at the polling stations where EISA was present,
voter turnout was low to average.


5. (SBU) The Charge spoke with Miguel de Brito,
Mozambique country director for EISA, who expressed his
disappointment in the tone of the EISA observer report's
final paragraph. He stated he would have preferred a
conclusion that Mozambique had met only a few benchmarks for
democracy, and that significant concerns remained. His
sentiments about the tone of the EISA report were reflected

MAPUTO 00001205 002 OF 002


in the opinions of many European diplomats, who felt the EU
Observer Mission's statement was also not critical enough.

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COMMENT: OBSERVERS OVERALL TOO TIMID
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6. (C) In the view of many diplomatic observers, most of
the preliminary reports released failed to criticize
adequately the electoral environment FRELIMO carefully
crafted (REF) prior to election day. In the observation
missions' defense, however, most were not present in country
to observe the run-up to election day and thus did not
believe they could comment. The EU Ambassadors expressed
particularly disappointment with their own EU observation
mission, believing that it was pressured by European
Parliamentarians from Spain and Portugal to tone down any
criticism. FRELIMO leadership may be emboldened by the
softer international observer response, further undercutting
the concerns expressed by the local diplomatic community.
CHAPMAN