MAPUTO, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Several observation missions and platforms for Mozambique 2019 general election said on Thursday at a joint conference in Maputo that the Oct. 15 elections were peaceful and transparent, with incidents that did not affect the integrity of the vote.

"The mission of the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CPLP) considers that the voting act of the past 15th took place, in general, in line with the international reference practices," said the coordinator of the CPLP's Electoral Observation Mission, Mario Mendao.

The coordinator added that the CPLP observers found that the polling stations operated in an orderly and peaceful manner and that there were "isolated incidents, but they do not undermine the integrity of the vote."

Goodluck Jonathan, former president of Nigeria, and the head of the African Union (AU) observation mission, called the Oct. 15 elections "transparent" and highlighted the presence of political parties and observers at the polls.

"The AU mission notes that the transparency of the process has been ensured, parties and observers were present at the vote stations," Goodluck Jonathan told the press.

Despite the positive assessment, he continued, the AU mission is concerned about discrepancies between the number of ballot papers and the number of registered voters at some polling stations in some provinces.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) electoral observation mission also called the vote orderly and peaceful.

"In conclusion, the pre-election and voting phases were generally conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner," said SADC mission chief and Zimbabwean Minister of Defense Oppah Muchinguri.

Muchinguri added that competitors dissatisfied with the process should follow the legal path of protest and avoid violence.

The Head of European Union Observer Mission, Sanchez Amor said that on election day the voting procedures were well implemented, but during the count process, there was no national observer.

"The absence of national observers in almost half of the polling stations observed did not contribute to the transparency of the process. We are now at the district tabulation stage, so we urge political parties to respect the deadlines and channels established by law for submitting any electoral disputes," said Nacho Amor.

Amor added that representatives and candidates from different political backgrounds should wait for results to be published calmly and serenely.

The Peace Room, a Mozambican civil society platform, makes a positive assessment of the electoral process, although in a preliminary way, despite the occurrence of some irregularities in some districts.

"The Peace Room makes a positive balance, despite the record of some irregularities, which were not enough to tarnish the process as a whole," Antonio Chazoita with the platform told a news conference.

The Peace Room calls on electoral administration bodies in Mozambique to count and report results within the deadlines set by law in central Zambezia province as a way to avoid suspicions, Chazoita said. Enditem

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