- Title: Mozambique votes in election that tests fragile peace deal
- Date: 15th October 2019
- Summary: MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE (OCTOBER 15, 2019) (REUTERS) MOZAMBICAN FLAG FLYING PEOPLE WALKING INTO THE POLLING STATION VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING IN A QUEUE, WAITING TO VOTE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) 23-YEAR-OLD VOTER, KATIO ARSENIO, SAYING: "In my opinion we gave all that we could give to Frelimo, since I was born Frelimo has been in power. I'm not saying that they never did anything, they did, but nothing concrete that is in favour of the youth. Some things good that I can say, but there are many wrong things that are happening because of them. So I don't see a reason to give my vote to them. It's worthwhile for me to give it to the one who hasn't ruled yet to see what they have for us, in this case I give my vote to Renamo." VARIOUS OF HANDS HOLDING VOTERS' ID CARDS ELECTION OFFICIALS CHECKING ID CARDS OF VOTERS STANDING IN QUEUE ELECTION OFFICIAL TICKING OFF A VOTER'S NAME, HANDING BACK THE ID CARD VOTER WALKING TO CAST HER VOTE ELECTION OFFICIAL INSTRUCTING VOTER TO RAISE HER HANDS OFFICIALS HOLDING BALLOT PAPERS OFFICIAL INSTRUCTING VOTER ON HOW TO CAST HIS VOTE ON THE BALLOT PAPER VOTER WALKING AWAY FROM VOTING BOOTH HANDS INSERTING BALLOT PAPERS INTO BALLOT BOXES FINGER GETTING INKED BY OFFICIAL (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) HOUSEKEEPER, ANA CHAVANA, SAYING: "We grew up with Frelimo, and it is the only one, there is no another alternative. We are used to our Frelimo, they must develop more, there is nothing else." PEOPLE LEAVING POLLING STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) VOTER, JOAO MANUEL, SAYING: "Let me get straight to the point, Frelimo must change, do something better, so I vote for the change. Frelimo have ruled, and in my opinion they are not succeeding in listening to the wishes of the people. We must change, by changing the parliament." MAN HOLDING UP HIS INKED FINGER PEOPLE WALKING OUTSIDE POLLING STATION
- Embargoed: 29th October 2019 13:16
- Keywords: Mozambicans voting ruling Frelimo party Renamo polls voters
- Location: MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE
- City: MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE
- Country: Mozambique
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA001B17KOJR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Mozambicans voted on Tuesday (October 15) in an election that will test a fragile two-month-old peace deal between the ruling Frelimo party and its old civil war foe turned opposition rival Renamo.
The presidential, legislative and provincial polls are widely expected to extend Frelimo's decades-long rule over a southern African nation that is set to become one of the world's main gas exporters.
One voter outside a polling station in the capital, Maputo, told Reuters that the Frelimo party needs to change by voting for the opposition party, Renamo, while another voter said that Frelimo is the only option.
Renamo is hoping to use electoral changes agreed in the peace pact to win control of its traditional heartlands in central and northern provinces for the first time since the civil war ended in a truce in 1992.
A failure to make those gains could cause unrest and undermine the opposition's incentive for sticking to the deal, rights groups and analysts have said.
Renamo fought Frelimo for 16 years from 1977 to 1992 in a Cold War conflict that killed about a million people. It ended in a truce but sporadic violence has flared in the years since - including after Renamo challenged election results in 2014.
Under the peace deal signed in August this year, provincial governors will now be picked by the main party in each province, rather than the government in Maputo - an opportunity for Renamo to gain long-thwarted representation.
(Production: Emidio Jozine, Sisipho Skweyiya) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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