Election officials in Mozambique on Thursday announced that the ruling party, Frelimo, has won the country’s disputed elections extending its five-decade grip on power.
The party’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, will replace President Filipe Nyusi, who is stepping down after the maximum two terms.
Frelimo (Mozambique’s Ruling Parry) has ruled the country since its independence from Portugal in 1975 and the polls were widely expected to return it to power.
The electoral commission said Chapo had won 70 percent of the vote. His closest challenger, Venancio Mondlane, who was backed by the Podemos party, got 20 percent. Mondlane displaced former rebel movement and opposition party, Renamo, whose candidate came in third this time around.
Amid claims of fraud and vote rigging from election observers and the opposition, there have been violent protests in several towns following the announcement of the results. European Union election observers cast doubts on the integrity of the poll, saying it did not meet international standards. They said there had been “irregularities during counting and unjustified alteration of election results”.
Opposition parties have also cried fraud and nationwide protests on Monday called for by Podemos were dispersed when the Mozambique police fired live rounds and tear gas.
Mondlane has again called for a nationwide strike, on Thursday and Friday, in protest against the alleged rigging.
Last week, two prominent party figures, including Podemos’ lawyer, Elvino Dias, who was also Mondlane’s advisor, were gunned in Maputo by unknown assailants, ratcheting up tensions. There are fears now that the protests could turn bloody.
Mondlane has until December to contest the results. Chapo will be officially sworn into office in January 2025.
The October 9 polls were also parliamentary and provincial elections. In the legislative elections, Frelimo also obtained a significant victory.
It secured the majority of seats in the Assembly of the Republic, strengthening its political control in Mozambique.
Mozambique’s President-elect struck a conciliatory tone Thursday (Oct. 24) as he spoke shortly after the results of disputed polls were announced.
Daniel Chapo dominated 3 opponents to secure 70.67% of the vote.
“I want to be the president for all Mozambicans, united from Rovuma to Maputo. Let us engage in dialogue, in conversation. It is not through street protests that Mozambique develops, but through peace, dialogue, harmony, security, and conversation. We are open to any Mozambican who has an idea to contribute to our country.”
The president-elect has criticized the strikes called by the opposition to protest claiming it is a systematic deceit.
The ruling party is however expected to enjoy absolute majority in Parliament after winning the concurrent polls, even though, this electoral cycle has been marred by violence notably against officials of the Podemos coalition.
Dias, a lawyer and advisor to opposition presidential candidate Mondlane, was killed when gunmen riddled his car with bullets in the port capital of Maputoon on October 18. He was killed alongside Guambe, the party spokesperson, was also in the car at the time.
Lutero Simango of the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement, who got just over 3% of the vote, on Thursday disputed the election outcome and said his party would challenge the results in court.
Despite the confirmation of the results by the election commission, the Constitutional Council will have the final say after it considers any appeals.
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Additional Source: Africa News
