Protesters hold a PODEMOS flag during a nationwide strike called by Mozambique presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane to protest the provisional results of an October 9 election, in Maputo, Mozambique, October 21, 2024
Daniel Chapo’s victory as Mozambique’s next President was highly expected. After all, his party, Frelimo, has had a grip on the country’s political apparatus since 1975 when they won independence from Portugal.
On Monday, 55 days after he was declared winner, the Constitutional Council, a judicial body with independence, validated the win although it lowered the size of his count by five percent.
What Chapo didn’t expect, probably, was the extent of political protests that followed the country’s national electoral commission (CNE) declaration that he had won.
So far 130 people were killed, about 385 others shot and wounded, 3,636 arrested and more than 2,000 injured in the chaos from post-election protests.
The US said on Monday that those responsible for violations of human rights, including the killing of protesters and party officials and excessive use of force by security forces, must be held accountable.
The council’s decision, for now, looks unlikely to pacify protesters. If anything, they may continue. As the council was delivering the verdict on Monday, angry supporters of the opposition poured in the streets, lighting tyres and hurling stones.
The country’s capital Maputo saw police battling protesters on Monday. From high above the city of Maputo one could see several plumes of smoke.
Those who did not accept the ruling were blocking traffic in various parts of the suburbs, setting up barricades and burning tyres.
Nampula province, the largest constituency in the country, has also seen unrest in some regions after the proclamation of the election results.
As a preventive measure, Taag, the Angolan airlines, cancelled flights between Luanda and Maputo for December 24 justifying the move on security reasons.
The flag carrier, which has two weekly services from Luanda to Maputo, said it will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.
But the Mozambique president-elect took the opportunity to call for peace in the nation and assured that everything was under control.
In a victory speech at Frelimo’s headquartres, Chapo guaranteed openness to dialogue and reforms explaining that the victory was not just his party but the Mozambican people's.
According to the Council, Mr Daniel Chapo won the presidential contest with 65.17 percent of votes only five percent less than the National Electoral Commission (CNE) announced.
“It is up to each of us to ensure peace. I take this opportunity [to] reaffirm my commitment to maintaining peace and social harmony,” Mr Chapo, who will be sworn-in in January, told his supporters.
“This country belongs to all Mozambicans, regardless of ethnic, racial or religious origin,” he said adding that dialogue would allow Mozambique to increasingly strengthen its democracy and succeed as a people.
Outgoing President Filipe Nyusi thanked Mozambicans for once again believing in and trusting Frelimo.
He called Mozambicans to work hard so that Daniel Chapo's life will be easier once he is sworn in as Mozambique's fifth president.
According to Nyusi, in this new stage that is beginning, the comrades are focused on the future, while recognising that there is no shortage of challenges.
Although Western partners may prefer stability and continuity in Mozambique, Chapo may be under pressure to account for rights violations once he takes power.
The US opted for a different tone, expressing its concern over the council’s announcement regarding the October 9 national elections. It said Mozambicans deserve elections that are free of violence and that reflect the will of the people.
In a statement released Monday, the US Department of State said the civil society organisations, political parties, the media, and international observers, including those from the US, had cited significant irregularities in the tabulation process a matter it said should not be ignored. Washington also raised concerns about the lack of transparency throughout the election period.
“The US calls on all stakeholders to refrain from violence and engage in meaningful collaboration to restore peace and foster unity,” Mr Mathew Miller, the Department of State Spokesperson said in a statement.
“The United States urges all stakeholders to commit to serious electoral and institutional reforms to secure the future of Mozambique as a genuine multiparty democracy.”
Public figures also reacted after the ruling. Angolan comedian Gilmário Vemba, currently living in Portugal and a frequent visitor to Luanda and Maputo for shows, used the social media to reflect about power in Africa.
“Once again, it has been proven that the change Africa needs will not be achieved peacefully,” he wrote.
Mozambique’s main opposition parties rejected the findings of the council, which argued the irregularities were insufficient to annul the results.
Mr Venâncio Mondlane, an independent candidate but supported by Podemos party got 24.19 percent of the votes according to the ruling. He alerted his supporters on Monday for ‘challenging days ahead.’
Since October 10, the Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), other political parties and civil society members had organised post-elections demonstrations leading to chaos.
“… there will be difficult days ahead, but it is from difficult days that the best history is made,” Mr Mondlane, who had claimed victory in the October 9 elections, said on his social media platforms.
According to Mr Mondlane, the truth about real winners of the elections had been sullied. “Those who voted are the ones who will decide whether to accept or not the CC (Constitutional Council) ruling,” Ms Judite Simão, Mondlane's representative, said adding that they would react to the CC ruling they said was unsatisfactory.
Mobilise population
The Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) party said it will mobilise the population to ‘save democracy’ as rejecting the poll results proclaimed by the CC.
Renamo leader Ossufo Momade, who achieved 6.62 percent, said: “This ruling represents disrespect for the people and a step backwards for our democracy and Renamo party cannot, under any circumstances, allow this to happen.”
“We don't recognise the results or the supposed winner, much less the numbers attributed to his party,” Renamo’s leader said on Monday at a press conference in Maputo.
The opposition leader said to believe that Mozambique deserves a legitimate government chosen by the people and not by a small group of people.
“We are going to mobilise the people so that we can fight together to save democracy. What we want is democracy and we will never accept it being annihilated,” Mr Ossufo Momade said.
According to the CC ruling, MDM leader Lutero Simango managed 4.02 percent of vote.
For Mr Simango what has been announced by the CC is not in line with popular desire and will.
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