Election officials in Mozambique announced on Thursday that the ruling party, Frelimo, has won the country’s disputed elections, solidifying its grip on power for over five decades.
Daniel Chapo, Frelimo’s candidate, will succeed President Filipe Nyusi, who is stepping down after two terms. Frelimo has governed Mozambique since its independence from Portugal in 1975, and the results were widely anticipated to favor the party.
The electoral commission reported that Chapo received 70 percent of the vote, while his closest rival, Venancio Mondlane of the Podemos party, garnered 20 percent. Mondlane replaced the former opposition party, Renamo, which saw its candidate finish in third place.
Following the announcement of the results, violent protests erupted in several towns amid allegations of fraud and vote rigging. European Union observers expressed concerns over the integrity of the elections, citing “irregularities during counting and unjustified alterations of results.” Opposition parties echoed these claims, leading to nationwide protests called by Podemos, which were met with police dispersing crowds using live rounds and tear gas.
Mondlane has called for a nationwide strike on Thursday and Friday in response to the alleged electoral misconduct. Tensions escalated after the recent shootings of two prominent Podemos figures in Maputo.
As fears grow that the protests could escalate into violence, Mondlane has until December to contest the election results. Chapo is set to be officially sworn in as president in January.
The elections held on October 9 also included parliamentary and provincial contests, in which Frelimo secured a majority in the Assembly of the Republic, further entrenching its political dominance in Mozambique.