Violent protests in Mozambique – news.ORF.at

Violent protests broke out today following the ruling party's controversial election victory in Mozambique. Opposition supporters demonstrated against “stolen” elections and a “corrupt” electoral commission. Yesterday, it was announced that Daniel Chapo won with 71 percent of the votes in the October 9 elections. He ran for the Frelimo party, which has ruled the country for 49 years.

After the result was announced, clashes broke out between demonstrators and police in several cities. According to police, one person died in Nampula, in the north of the country. In the capital, Maputo, rioters set fire to tires to block roads. An AFP correspondent noted that some threw stones at police, who used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Chapo, a 47-year-old former regional governor, was not widely known in the country before his surprise nomination as the ruling Frelimo party's candidate. He is scheduled to succeed President Filipe Nyusi next January.

“It is not the will of the people”

Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane officially won just over 20 percent of the vote. He announced his victory and called for demonstrations to protest the “rigged” elections. “We completely reject these findings,” Mondelein said during a Facebook Live broadcast yesterday. He added: “It does not reflect the will of the people.”

The European Union election observation mission found “accounting irregularities” and “nepotism” by the Mozambique Liberation Front earlier this month. EU observers also stressed that the numbers were “incorrect” in about a third of the recounts.

According to European Union observers, a total of 104 percent of adults eligible to vote were registered on ballot papers. More than 17 million people out of a population of 33 million were invited to cast their votes in the parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for October 9.