Mozambicans will cast their ballots in local elections on Wednesday, amid concerns that an upsurge in political violence will mar voting. Opposition party Renamo have denied allegations they plan to disrupt the vote after months of deadly clashes between supporters and government forces. “Renamo is not a party of violence. We as Renamo party never sat down to plan any kind of violence,” a spokesperson for the party, Fernando Mazanga told AFP on the eve of the vote. Since late October guerrillas from Renamo’s military wing have been fighting a low-level insurgency against government forces in the central province of Sofala.
The party has not registered for Wednesday’s polls saying the election laws must first be overhauled to ensure it has equal representation on election bodies to stop the ruling party stealing the vote.
Over the past year, Renamo repeatedly vowed to stop elections going ahead.
However, when asked whether people would vote without fear of violence Mazanga alleged that “other political or social forces” could take action.
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