Ruling party candidate declared Mozambique poll winner amid vote-rigging claims

Mozambique’s ruling party candidate Daniel Chapo has been declared the winner of the country’s presidential election amid claims of vote-rigging by the opposition.

According to the national election commission, Mr Chapo won 71% of the national vote, followed by independent candidate Venancio Mondlane with 20%. The candidate of the opposition party Renamo – Ossufo Momade – came third with 6% of the total votes.

The results of the October 9 election mean the governing Front for the Liberation of Mozambique party, or Frelimo, has extended its 49 years in power since the southern African country gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

It then fought a bloody 15-year civil war against rebel group Renamo, which later became the main opposition party and also contested this election.

Frelimo has often been accused of rigging elections, which it has consistently denied. President Filipe Nyusi of Frelimo is stepping down after serving the maximum two terms allowed.

The EU’s observer mission said this week that some of its election observers had been prevented from monitoring counting in some areas and there was an “unjustified alteration” of results at some polling stations.

Opposition parties have alleged there was fraud since the day of the election.

The country of around 33 million people has been on edge since two senior opposition figures, including a lawyer involved in a possible legal challenge of the election results, were killed last week when gunmen ambushed them and riddled their car with bullets.

Elvino Dias, a lawyer and adviser to opposition presidential candidate Mr Mondlane, was killed when gunmen riddled his car with bullets in the port capital of Maputo, his opposition Podemos party said. Paulo Guambe, the party spokesperson, was also in the car and was killed.

Police also quelled demonstrations by opposition supporters this week, dispersing them by firing tear gas.