Mozambique’s Electoral Commission (CNE) has declared the ruling Frelimo party and its presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo, the winners of the 9 October general election.
According to the CNE chairperson, Anglican Bishop Carlos Matsinhe, Chapo garnered 70.67% of the vote, followed by independent candidate Venâncio Mondlane with 20.32%. Ossufo Momade of the Renamo opposition party managed 5.81% and Lutero Simango of the Mozambique’s Democratic Movement (MDM) obtained a paltry 3.21% of the vote.
Frelimo has won 195 seats in the 250-seat national parliament. In 2019, it had won 184 seats, to 60 for Renamo and six for MDM. However, both Renamo and MDM have seen their share of seats cut down to 20 and four seats, respectively.
Meanwhile, PODEMOS (Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique), the party that backed Mondlane’s independent candidature, has won 31 seats, becoming the leader of the opposition in parliament.
The results were announced amid serious allegations of fraud, with observers saying that the election had neither been free nor fair. The European Union observer mission reported that there were irregularities during counting and alteration of results.
As Matsinhe made the announcement, youths were running amok throughout parts of Mozambique, ostensibly in Maputo, Matola, Manica, Tete and Nampula. Groups of youths confronted riot units and started destroyed public and private property.
As night fell, videos started circulating of youths burning down buildings housing Frelimo’s district headquarters, making it clear who was the object of their anger.
Reports indicate that violence has caused the death of six people, two police and four civillians, in the northern city of Nacala.
Comment
At no moment did Bishop Matsinhe or the CNE made any effort to address allegations of vote-rigging. The closer he got to addressing this was to say that the results “could be altered” at the Constitutional Council, which during elections doubles up as an electoral court of last resort.
Deliberations at the CNE are decided by vote, which means that the members are likely to vote along political lines. As such, nine members voted in favour of approving the disputed results, while seven voted against – the nine represent Frelimo, including Bishop Matsinhe.
If past elections are anything to go by, the Constitutional Council Will rubber stamp the results produced by the CNE.
Many Mozambicans are likely to blame the CNE and the Constitutional Council, without taking into account the underlying factors which force the members of the electoral bodies to not make decisions base on their consciences.
Because voting is not secret, even if they wanted, those members representing Frelimo are not likely to defy Frelimo’s will, that is, to ensure that the party continues to have a hold on the country. So, they would rather be covered in ignominy rather than disobey who appointed them to the such bodies.
And they cannot even consider stepping-down because that would mean the end of their professional life, such is Frelimo’s power and reach.
Cries that the blood of Mozambicans will be on their hands will fall on deaf ears for the nine members had to follow Frelimo’s strategy: refuse to acknowledge the fraud and hope that the violence in the streets will eventually wane.
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