Mozambique’s Constitutional Council (CC) has officially announced Daniel Chapo as the victor of the country’s October 9th general elections. Chapo, representing the ruling Frelimo party, garnered 65.17% of the vote, cementing his position as Mozambique’s fifth president. This marks a continuation of Frelimo’s dominance in the nation’s political landscape.
The declaration by CC President Lucia Ribeiro on December 23rd revised the figures initially reported by the National Electoral Commission (CNE), which had announced a higher 70.67% win for Chapo in October. Despite the discrepancies, the CC confirmed that the irregularities identified during the electoral process did not warrant nullification of the results.
Venancio Mondlane, the candidate for Podemos, an extra-parliamentary party, improved on his preliminary results, securing 24.19% of the vote compared to the 20.32% previously reported. Renamo’s Ossufo Momade and the Democratic Movement of Mozambique’s Lutero Simango trailed with 6.62% and 4.02% respectively.
Frelimo also clinched an overwhelming majority in parliament, capturing 171 of 250 seats. Podemos emerged as the second-largest party with 43 seats, while Renamo and MDM secured 28 and 8 seats, respectively.
The aftermath of the election has been marred by unrest. Reports from local media indicate that over 100 civilians have lost their lives, with hundreds more injured in post-election violence.
Daniel Chapo is set to assume office, taking over from President Filipe Nyusi, as Mozambique looks towards stabilising its political climate amidst growing concerns over electoral integrity and governance.
