Mozambique’s Constitutional Council has confirmed Daniel Francisco Chapo as the winner of the disputed October presidential election, with Chapo securing 65.17% of the vote.
Lucia da Luz Ribeiro, president of the Constitutional Council, declared Chapo the elected president, saying, “The citizen Daniel Francisco Chapo is proclaimed as elected president of the Republic of Mozambique.”
Chapo’s main rival, opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, who garnered 24.29% of the vote, has rejected the court’s ruling. Mondlane, leader of the opposition party, accused the ruling Frelimo party of electoral fraud. His supporters have taken to the streets of Maputo, protesting the decision, blocking roads, and burning tires.
“We are being shot at. We are discussing the national situation. The population is being oppressed. We are fighting,” said protester Cláudio Cumbe.
The protests have led to violent clashes, with reports of more than 100 people killed in recent weeks. Mondlane has called for a nationwide “shutdown” starting Friday, raising concerns of more unrest.
While the Constitutional Council acknowledged some irregularities in the election process, it concluded that these did not significantly affect the overall outcome. Chapo’s victory secures another term for Frelimo, which has ruled Mozambique since the country gained independence in 1975.