国际英语资讯:Mozambican civil society organizes music festival to promote voting for elections

MAPUTO, Sept. 8 -- Prominent Hip-Hop musicians in Mozambique performed several songs in a music festival on Saturday in Maputo to encourage voters to go to voting stations and exercise their right and duty in the coming municipal elections on October 10th.

According to Aquilcia Manjate the representative of the organizer "Votar Mocambique," statistics indicated that 84 percent of potential voters (ages between 18-35 years) had registered but less than 50 percent went to vote, the music festival is aiming to improve the situation.

"We use music because it's visible that young people listen to music particularly Hip-Hop style. This style in our country influences behavior and the opinion of Mozambican younger generation," Alquicia Manjate told Xinhua.

Despite few weeks away from the municipal elections, another festival will also be held in the city of Quelimane, in representation of the central region and the third festival will be held in the city of Lichinga in representation of the northern region.

As a consortium composed of civil society organizations, Votar Mozambique is also promoting the newly approved electoral law.

Before the festival, the artists were engaged in a debate around the importance of voting, the reason why the young generation in particular should exercise their duty casting their vote so as to participate actively in the country's governance process.

Votar Mozambique said the initiative will expand to next year to promote the same objective for the general election.