Mozambique’s ruling party, Frelimo, was leading provisional election results across all 11 provinces on Wednesday, sparking accusations of electoral fraud from opposition parties, one of which has called for a nationwide strike. Daniel Chapo, the presidential candidate for Frelimo, is widely expected to win the October 9 election. Frelimo has governed the country since 1975 and has long faced allegations of manipulating elections, claims the party continues to deny. The final election results are expected to be announced on October 24.
Venancio Mondlane, an independent candidate seen as Chapo’s main rival, claimed he was in the lead based on his own calculations. In a video posted on social media, Mondlane called for a nationwide strike on Monday, October 21, accusing Frelimo of maintaining a tight grip on political power and key economic resources like oil, gas, and minerals. He emphasized that the strike would be a demonstration of the people’s desire to take control of the country’s future.
Lutero Simango, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique, a smaller opposition party, announced his intention to contest the election results in court. Although Frelimo’s spokesperson has yet to respond to requests for comment, Chapo has urged citizens to remain calm while awaiting the official results.
International election observers have raised concerns over the conduct of the election, noting serious irregularities. The International Republican Institute, a U.S.-based election monitoring organization, reported cases of vote-buying, intimidation, and inflated voter rolls in areas controlled by Frelimo, alongside a lack of transparency in the vote-counting process. Edson Cortez, director of the Mozambican Centre for Public Integrity (CIP), stated that the election did not appear to represent the true will of the voters.
Protest videos, reportedly from the northern city of Nampula, began circulating on social media on Wednesday, although their authenticity has not yet been confirmed. Mozambique’s history of political unrest includes past incidents where the police have used live fire on protesters, especially after contentious local elections.
With mounting tensions, all eyes are on the electoral commission as the country awaits the final results. So far, the commission has not commented on the fraud allegations, leaving the political atmosphere tense as the country heads towards the official announcement.
