Mozambique: Gaza and Inhambane Spirits to Occupy 7 Seats in Parliament

In a surprising turn of events, ghosts in Mozambique are not only able to register and vote in elections, but they also hold seats in parliament. According to recent reports, Gaza ghosts will have 6 seats in the upcoming parliamentary session, while Inhambane ghosts will have 1 seat. However, these ghost seats will be filled by real Frelimo members of parliament, as candidates for parliament must be visible individuals.

The redistribution of seats to accommodate ghost voters has caused some unrest, particularly in Gaza, which will see a decrease in ghost seats from 10 to 6 in the next parliament. This shift has resulted in other provinces losing seats to make room for the ghost representatives. Sofala will lose 2 seats, while Maputo City, Tete, Zambezia, Cabo Delgado, and Niassa will each lose 1 seat.

The issue of ghost voters is compounded by the under-registration of real adults in certain provinces. Niassa and Sofala, for example, had fewer registration brigades compared to Gaza and Inhambane, leading to potential disenfranchisement of voters in opposition areas. In Nampula, there are concerns of both under-registration and over-registration, with the province registering 103% of adults.

Efforts to estimate and exclude ghost voters have revealed a significant discrepancy in the voter registration process. It is estimated that there are over 941,000 ghost voters on the electoral roll, constituting 6% of the total voter population. Eliminating these ghost voters would have a profound impact on the composition of parliament, with some provinces gaining or losing seats accordingly. The situation highlights the need for transparency and accuracy in the electoral process to ensure fair representation for all citizens.