BRUSSELS, Dec 24 (KUNA) -- The European Union expressed on Tuesday its deep concern over the violence that occurred following the elections in Mozambique, expressing regret for the "considerable loss of life" that occurred so far.
In a statement, the EU called on all parties to "maintain restraint and refrain from any actions that could exacerbate tensions," and urged "accountability and justice to address human rights violations." The statement noted that the EU observation mission, deployed at the invitation of Mozambican authorities to monitor the electoral process, observed "irregularities during the vote counting process and unjustified alterations of election results." The EU reiterated its readiness to "support Mozambique in electoral system reform," considering that "the upcoming recommendations of the EU Election Observation Mission will be important in this regard." The EU also called on the newly elected president and the new administration to "engage quickly in a constructive dialogue with the opposition and relevant civil society organizations to restore the social contract with the people and strengthen democratic values and human rights." The Constitutional Council announced on Monday that the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) party won the national elections held on 9 October but the opposition has questioned the legitimacy of the results, leading to protests that resulted in dozens of deaths in the resource-rich country in southeastern Africa. (end) arn.mb