JOHANNESBURG, Oct 24, (AP): European Union election observers have flagged irregularities in Mozambique's election as the country awaits the announcement of official results this week amid protests by opposition supporters and the recent killing of two prominent opposition figures. The EU observer mission said Tuesday that some of its 179 election observers deployed to the country had been prevented from observing tabulation processes in some districts, provinces and at national level.

The mission also noted "unjustified alteration” of election results at some polling stations. "The EU EOM (election observer mission) has continued to observe the electoral process, although EU observers were prevented to observe tabulation processes in some districts and provinces, as well as at the national level. "To date, the EU EOM has noted irregularities during counting and unjustified alteration of election results at polling station and district level,” chief observer Laura Ballarín said in a statement on Tuesday.

Ballarin called on electoral bodies in the country to conduct the tabulation process in a transparent way to ensure the credibility of the election results. "The publication of disaggregated results by polling stations is not only a matter of good practice, but also a strong safeguard for the integrity of results," Ballarin said. Tensions around the country's election escalated after the killing of two prominent opposition figures last Friday, followed by protests by opposition supporters on Monday, which were quelled by police firing tear gas at protesters.

Elvino Dias, a lawyer and adviser to opposition presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, was killed when gunmen riddled his car with bullets in the capital, Maputo. Paulo Guambe, the spokesperson for the PODEMOS opposition party that is backing Mondlane, was also in the car and was killed.