Thursday, July 12, 2007

Upcoming Mozambique Elections Date Clashes With Eid al-Adha Muslim Holiday

Sources: Agencia de Informacão de Moçambique and Mozambique public holidays. The date of Thursday, December 20, 2007, was recently announced by Mozambique President, Armando Guebuza, for the upcoming elections. However, that date is also the most likely date of Eid al-Adha, one of the most sacred days of the year for Muslims.

Sheik Abdul Carimo Sau, of the Islamic Council of Mozambique, urged the government to change the date of the elections, since Muslims account for about 18 per cent of the Mozambican population, and holding elections on the date of Eid al-Adha risks an unnecessary increase in abstention. But the Sheik did not suggest an alternative date.

The leader of a minor opposition party, the ALIMO, proposed that the elections be moved to Saturday or Sunday, December 22 or 23, but holding the election so close to Christmas, and on a weekend, does not seem a solution either.