MOZAMBIQUE: GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS General elections - Guebuza and Frelimo lead in the counting process FRELIMO and its candidate, Armando Guebuza, are taking advantage in the partial counting of the votes related to the fourth general elections held on Wednesday in the country. Indeed, the general data concerning the presidential finding submitted by the CNE realize that the candidate Armando Guebuza achieved 536,440 votes (74 percent), Daviz Simango achieved 121,543 (17 percent) and Afonso Dhlakama achieved 64,893 (9 percent). These data refer to a time when it were scrutinized, something like 17.99 percent of the total votes. http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz/pls/notimz2/getxml/pt/contentx/909626 General elections - Initiates centralization of data The process of centralization of data from elections of last Wednesday began yesterday across the country, which should culminate with the publication of the final results to be made by the National Electoral Commission (CNE), within fifteen days. Felisberto Naife, Managing Director of STAE, said yesterday to the press that the counting of results at polling stations was completed until the early hours of yesterday. The process of centralization of data by the CNE must be accompanied by the reclassification of invalid or claimed votes. http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz/pls/notimz2/getxml/pt/contentx/909579 EISA Observer beaten in Manica An observer for Mozambican elections was allegedly beaten and kicked out of a polling station, by the police chief and the community, in the district of Sussundega, at Manica province. According to the source of the EISA, Marceta André Medina, since Wednesday night, he has been prevented from spending the night in the place of voting as he wished. According to EISA, another observer of the institution was expelled in the local of vote by the police in Changara, Tete province. EISA has 24 election observers in Mozambique, coming from countries such as Angola, Burundi, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, Kenya, Lesotho and Rwanda. http://www.opais.co.mz/opais/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3047:observador-do-eisa-espancado-em-manica-&catid=63:politica&Itemid=273 General elections - peaceful and orderly - concludes CPLP The voting process of Wednesday was calm and orderly and it fits perfectly on international best practices and democratic principles as concluded yesterday in Maputo, the Observer Mission of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) . The head of this group of observers, Ambassador Luís Fonseca, yesterday told to the press, in the capital, that "at polling stations I observed there were no signs of intimidation and coercion of voters by any political or administrative official". http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz/pls/notimz2/getxml/pt/contentx/909584 Mozambique rises in the ranking of press freedom Mozambique was the only African continent to record rise in the press freedom rankings. South Africa remains the best positioned of the SADC. Brazil and Mozambique were the only Portuguese-speaking countries that in 2009, saw improved press freedom, according to the organization Reporters Without Borders. Importantly, in Africa, Mozambique was the only country to experience a rise in the ranking of free printing press, shifting from the position 90 (in 2008) to 83 (in 2009). http://www.opais.co.mz/opais/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3025:mocambique-sobe-no-ranking-liberdade-de-imprensa&catid=45:sociedade&Itemid=176 Inspection of Labor challenges companies The General Inspectorate of Labor (IGT) noticed Wednesday, across the country, a total of 42 companies that had gone down to not waiver their employees to participate in the voting process for the General Elections of 28 October. A total of 351 domestic workers would be affected by the constitutional violation and the Labor Law by some employers, unless there was intervention of the IGT. The city and Maputo province are leading companies that violated this right. After being questioned, companies paralyzed its activities, thus allowing their employees to go to the polling stations. http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz/pls/notimz2/getxml/pt/contentx/909586 Protection of minors in schools The Association of Advocates for Children's Rights launches today a project of Free Legal Assistance to child victims of violence in schools The project, to be launched at the Escola Secundaria Zedequias Manganhela, in Maputo, has the goal of ensuring that vulnerable children are able to enroll in school, receive a quality education without being exposed to risks of violence or abuse and to maintain their school attendance until the conclusion of the pursued level. Lasting three years, the project is intended to cover a total of 500 schools in the province and city of Maputo. http://www.jornalnoticias.co.mz/pls/notimz2/getxml/pt/contentx/909589