Mozambique’s Constitutional Council has declared Daniel Francisco Chapo the winner of the disputed October presidential election, despite acknowledging irregularities.
Chapo secured 65.17% of the vote, ensuring another term for Frelimo, the ruling party that has governed the country since independence in 1975.
Lucia da Luz Ribeiro, president of the Constitutional Council, announced the decision, stating, “[The Constitutional Council] proclaims as elected president of the Republic of Mozambique, the citizen Daniel Francisco Chapo.”
Opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, who garnered 24.29% of the vote, rejected the results, accusing Frelimo of vote-rigging.
His supporters have taken to the streets in Maputo, burning tires and blocking roads in protest.
Protester Cláudio Cumbe voiced frustration with the government’s response: “We are being shot at.
We are discussing the national situation. The population is being oppressed. We are fighting.”
The protests have escalated into violent clashes, with reports of over 100 fatalities in recent weeks.
Mondlane has called for a nationwide “shutdown” starting Friday, intensifying fears of further unrest.
While the Constitutional Council admitted to irregularities in the election, it concluded they were not significant enough to alter the overall outcome.
The announcement has deepened divisions in the country and sparked widespread tension.
Africanews/Patience Ameh
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