The National Resistance of Mozambique (Renamo), the main opposition party, announced on Wednesday that it is preparing to release the results of the parallel count of the general elections, in which it declared itself the winner in two provinces.
“In the next few days the Renamo party will pronounce itself and will publicise the results of its parallel count of the results of these elections,” declared its representative, Geraldo Carvalho, at a press conference in Maputo.
The party official said that following the release of the election results by the National Electoral Commission (CNE), which still need to be validated by the Constitutional Council (CC), Renamo “remained calm” while working on the data from the parallel count, pointing out that it is not “in favour of the results reported” by the official bodies.
“I would like to say that in two provinces Renamo has the lead in the election of provincial governors and provincial assemblies,” said Geraldo Carvalho, noting that the party is also waiting for the CC’s pronouncement.
“We hope that this time the Constitutional Council will play its role properly, remembering what its obligations are,” said the Renamo representative.
On Thursday, Mozambique’s CNE announced the victory of Daniel Chapo, supported by the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo, the party in power since 1975) in the election for country’s president on 9 October, with 70.67 % of the vote.
Venâncio Mondlane, supported by the non-parliamentary Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), came second with 20.32%, but said he did not recognise these results, which still have to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.
Frelimo also strengthened its parliamentary majority, from 184 to 195 MPs (out of 250), and elected all 10 of the country’s provincial governors.
In addition to Mondlane, the leader of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo, currently the largest opposition party), Ossufo Momade, one of the four presidential candidates, said that he did not recognise the election results announced by the CNE and called for the vote to be annulled.
Presidential candidate Lutero Simango, supported by the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), also rejected the results, considering that they were “forged in the secretariat”, and promised “political and legal action” to restore the “will of the people”.
Today, the CC gave the National Electoral Commission a deadline of eight days to send it the minutes and notices of the partial tabulation, carried out at the polling stations, and the same documentation made by the district commissions, in Maputo city, as well as in the provinces of Maputo, Gaza, Inhambane, Tete, Zambézia and Nampula.
Lusa
