Mozambique’s opposition jointly denounces irregularities in the presidential elections

MADRID 30 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –

Mozambique’s opposition parties that ran in the presidential elections at the beginning of October have signed a joint statement denouncing irregularities during the elections in favor of the candidate of the government’s Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), Daniel Chapo.

The document has the signature not only of the main opposition, the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Vamos); but also of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) and the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), as well as numerous other extra-parliamentary political formations.

Among its main complaints, the Mozambican opposition has indicated that the official results of the Electoral Commission are tainted by irregularities in favor of the government candidate, and have regretted the falsification of electoral records, the lack of documentation and the disorganization in the elections.

As things stand, they have assured that they will continue protesting until “truth and justice” is brought to bear in this electoral process. “The parties are convinced that the recount process curtailed the rights of all competing parties, which is why we demand that the electoral truth be restored,” Podemos stated.

For their part, the MDM has stressed that “in a prophetic moment for the lives of Mozambicans, for the first time the entire opposition is together.” The third most voted force in the elections has valued the “sense of unity for collective action” against irregularities, reports the local press.

Podemos published during the day on Monday a parallel account of the elections in which it maintains that its candidate, Venancio Mondlane, won the victory after collecting 53.38 percent of the votes, ahead of the 35.66 percent collected for Chapo, to whom the electoral commission has given more than 70 percent of the endorsements.

The National Electoral Commission (CNE) delivered the recount data to the Constitutional Council on Monday for analysis and possible ratification, amid the absence of publication of the official minutes by both the organization and Podemos, which maintains that has provided them to the Constitutional Council.

The situation is such that Mondlane himself has announced a “march towards Maputo” to try to overthrow the authorities after refusing to recognize the official results of the presidential elections. The Mozambican Government has recommended that the population avoid participating in protests.