Mozambique’s ruling party candidate Daniel Chapo was declared the winner of the presidential election, but the opposition said the vote was rigged, with one party challenging the result in court.
According to the national electoral commission, Chapo won with 70.67 per cent of the vote nationwide. He was followed by independent candidate Venancio Mondlane with 20.32 per cent of the vote. Ossufo Momade, a nominee of the opposition Renamo party, came third with 5.81 per cent of the total votes.
The election results on 9 October mean that the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique party, or Frelimo, has extended its 49-year hold on power since the country gained independence from Portugal in 1975. It then fought a 15-year bloody civil war against the rebel group Renamo. Renamo later became the main opposition party and also contested the election.
Speaking shortly after the results were announced, Chapo condemned the recent killings of two opposition members. He also criticised the strikes announced by the opposition in protest.
As the Frelimo party, we want to once again reiterate our repudiation of the murders of Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe as well as other citizens physically affected in this ongoing process of demonstrations.
Meanwhile, Lutero Simango of the opposition Mozambique Democratic Movement said his party would challenge the results in court.
We from the MDM will be on the side of the people, of electoral justice, and will combat all manipulations, which is why we will combine legal and political action so that the results reflect the will of the voters.
Mozambique faces high levels of unemployment and hunger, exacerbated by the severe drought caused by El Niño. According to the UN World Food Programme, 1.3 million people face severe food shortages.
Current President Filipe Nyusi is stepping down after serving the maximum allowed two terms. The EU observer mission said this week that some of its election observers were not allowed to follow the counting of votes in some areas and there was an “unjustified alteration” of results in some polling stations.
