Daniel Chapo of the ruling Frelimo party in Mozambique has been declared the winner of the presidential election. The National Election Commission cited him as obtaining over 70 percent of the votes despite strong allegations of electoral rigging from opposition parties.
Independent candidate Venancio Mondlane, the main opponent of Chapo, took upwards of 20 percent, while more than five percent went to Ossufo Momade from the opposition party Renamo. These results also extend Frelimo’s almost half-century grasp on power since Mozambique gained independence from Portugal in 1975 after a 15-year civil war against Renamo, its main opposition party.
Backed by the Podemos party, Mondlane has already claimed victory, accusing enormous fraud and manipulation in favor of Frelimo. On October 20, Chapo addressed supporters after the results of the elections were announced, condemning the recent killings of two opposition figures and the strikes initiated by the opposition to protest what they considered electoral deceit:
Police used tear gas against the protesters, who scattered as skirmishes broke out. “I want to send words of condolences to the families of the victims, Elvino Dias and Paulo Guambe, who were shot in the attack on their car in Maputo last Friday,” Chapo said. Mondlane accused the security forces of orchestrating the killings. The police have investigated the incidents, which Frelimo condemned as a “macabre act.”
Chapo, 47, vowed to serve all Mozambicans regardless of race, religion, or political affiliation as he prepares to assume the presidency for the first time in January.
As the election results were announced, hundreds of Mondlane backers began protesting in cities such as Maputo and Nampula, carrying signs that read “Tired of being the slaves of thieves.” Riot police battled the protesters, firing tear gas in a bid to restore order and sending several people to the hospital and reportedly killing at least one person in Nampula.
He has called for national demonstrations, asking that citizens take back their power and demand more after decades of the Frelimo government. The party was accused of electoral misconduct in past elections, which it repeatedly denied. EU observers reported irregularities in the election’s processing, including restrictions on monitoring and alterations of results in some polling stations.
Outgoing President Filipe Nyusi of Frelimo will step down after two terms, the maximum number allowed by law, amid a politically charged atmosphere as Chapo prepares to assume office.
