Mozambique presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane said on Monday that an appeal submitted to the Constitutional Council “presents strong grounds” for his having achieved an “unequivocal victory” in last month’s general elections, and so he rejects the possibility of repeating them.
“We have an appeal that is in the hands of the Constitutional Council that presents strong grounds for an unequivocal victory for Venâncio Mondlane and Podemos [the party backing his candidacy],” the candidate asked in a written response to the Lusa news agency. ” “Why would we opt for a rerun?
“This would benefit the offender and would set a terrible precedent: whenever there was evidence of having lost elections, it would be enough to commit a series of illicit acts for the elections to be continuously and infinitely cancelled,” he said. “When Frelimo says it has won, it doesn’t annul it, it proclaims it; when other parties win, they go for annulment.”
Out of the four candidates in last month’s presidential elections two – Lutero Simango, who is also president of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), and Ossufo Momade, leader of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) – have already called for the electoral process to be cancelled and for the elections to be repeated, alleging fraud and various irregularities. Renamo is the second-largest party in the current parliament and the MDM the third-largest party.
The Mozambican Bar Association has also admitted the possibility of cancelling and repeating the vote as a way out of the post-election crisis that has been going on in the country for almost two months.
But for Mondlane, who does not recognise the results announced by the National Electoral Commission (CNE), which have yet to be validated by the Constitutional Council, if the lattr upholds the victory of Frelimo and its presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo, the scenario will be clear: “The beginning of chaos and the consummation of the sinister wall named Frelimo.”
Since 21 October, Mozambique has been experiencing successive stoppages and demonstrations, all over the country, which have degenerated into clashes with the police that have led to scores of deaths.
Mondlane, who had called for the street protests, says that only two measures can lead him to suspend these protests: “Firstly, electoral truth. Then compensation for the families of those killed, unconditional assistance for the injured and the immediate and unconditional release of those arrested.”
At least 103 people have died in post-election demonstrations in Mozambique since 21 October, according to an update released on Monday by the non-governmental organisation Plataforma Eleitoral Decide.
According to the report, from 3 to 7 December alone, in the current phase of demonstrations, there were 27 fatalities, including 10 in Gaza province and eight in Nampula, as well as three deaths in Cabo Delgado.
Previously, the NGO had also counted at least 274 people shot during the demonstrations and stoppages contesting the election results since 21 October and 3,450 arrested.
Mondlane had called for a new phase of electoral protest lasting a week, from 4 to 11 December, in “all the neighbourhoods” of Mozambique, with traffic to be blocked from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The CNE’s announcement on 24 October of the results of the 9 October elections, in which it awarded victory to Daniel Chapo, supported by Frelimo, which has been in power since 1975, in the election for president, with 70.67% of the votes, triggered popular protests called by Mondlane that have degenerated into violent clashes with the police.
According to the CNE, Mondlane came second with 20.32%, but he has refused to recognise the results.
Lusa
