Mozambican court confirms presidential election results

While the Constitutional Council recognised the existence of irregularities in the election, it considered that they did not significantly alter the results.

The Constitutional Council of Mozambique has declared Daniel Francisco Chapo the winner of October’s disputed presidential election, with 65.17% of the vote.

The opposition leader, Venâncio Mondlane, who won 24.29% of the vote, accused the ruling Frelimo party of rigging the ballot and rejected the court’s decision. Supporters of Mondlane took to the streets of Maputo, burning tyres and blocking roads.

Demonstrator Cláudio Cumbe expressed his anger at the government’s reaction: ‘They’re shooting at us. We are discussing the national situation. The people are oppressed. We are fighting.

Demonstrations linked to the election have given rise to violent clashes, and more than 100 people are thought to have been killed in recent weeks. Mr Mondlane has called for a national ‘shutdown’ from Friday, raising fears of further unrest.

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Although the Constitutional Council acknowledged the existence of irregularities in the election, it ruled that they did not significantly alter the results. Chapo’s victory ensures a new mandate for Frelimo, the party in power in Mozambique since independence in 1975.