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Mozambique’s Constitutional Council is set to decide on Monday whether to validate the contentious election results from October 9, which have sparked deadly unrest across the country.
The council’s president, Lucia da Luz Ribeiro, will announce the final decision during a public hearing, according to an official statement. The elections, marred by accusations of fraud, saw the ruling Frelimo party’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, declared the winner with 71% of the presidential vote. Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who officially secured 20%, claims the results were rigged and insists he won with 53%.
Mondlane, currently in exile citing safety concerns, has threatened to call for a “popular uprising” if the council validates the initial results. He warned that there would be chaos and a scale of unrest never seen before.
International observer missions have also highlighted irregularities in the electoral process. Meanwhile, political violence over the past two months has claimed at least 130 lives, according to Plataforma Decide, a non-governmental organisation monitoring the situation.
Frelimo has maintained a firm grip on power since Mozambique gained independence from Portugal in 1975. However, the ongoing turmoil underscores the deepening divisions in the country.
The council’s decision could mark a critical turning point, potentially easing tensions or exacerbating the unrest.
