Mozambique Elections: Destruction of ballot papers scheduled for January 17 – CNE

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Mozambique Elections: Destruction of ballot papers scheduled for January 17 – CNE

1:31 CAT | 08 Jan 2025

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Lusa]

In a step legally required after the conclusion of any electoral process in Mozambique, the Mozambican National Elections Commission (CNE) has scheduled the destruction of October 9 general election ballot papers for January 17 ( a Friday).

According to the CNE’s decision, seen by Lusa on Wednesday (08-01), this involves the “destruction of validly expressed, blank, void, contested, protested or counter-protested ballot papers placed in the custody of the District and City Elections Commissions”, and will take place at these commissions’ facilities.

The destruction of papers will take place “before representatives of candidates, political parties, coalitions of political parties, groups of proposing voters, observers, journalists and voters in general”, reads the CNE resolution, which also establishes that the Provincial Election Commissions “are responsible for full compliance” with this resolution, along with “the standardization of the practice of the act”, and the requirement to “send the information” to the CNE by January 22.

The general elections of October 9 included the seventh presidential elections – in which the current head of state, Filipe Nyusi, who reached the limit of two terms, did not run – simultaneously with legislative elections and elections for provincial assemblies and governors.

17.1 million registered to vote

More than 17.1 million voters were registered for the October 9 elections, of which about half voted.

On December 23, the Constitutional Council of Mozambique proclaimed Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) candidate Daniel Chapo the winner of the election for President of the Republic with 65.17% of the vote.

“I hereby proclaim Daniel Francisco Chapo elected President of the Republic of Mozambique,” announced the president of the Constitutional Council, Lúcia Ribeiro, after an hour and a half of reading the proclamation ruling, in which she acknowledged irregularities in the electoral process, but which “did not influence” the final result.

According to the results, Venâncio Mondlane received 24.19% of the votes, Ossufo Momade 6.62% and Lutero Simango 4.02%.

On December 23, while the ruling proclaiming the results – which also maintained Frelimo’s majority in parliament – was being read, protesters supporting Venâncio Mondlane were already protesting in the streets.

Since October 21 of last year, almost 300 people have died and nearly 600 have been shot in protests against the Mozambican electoral process mounted by supporters of Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognize the results,

MPs sworn in on Monday, President on Wednesday

The inauguration of the new President of the Republic of Mozambique is scheduled for January 15, a Wednesday. Two days before that, the new parliament will be sworn in.

The National Electoral Commission (CNE) has scheduled the inauguration of the members of the Mozambican Parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, for January 13, a Monday.

The Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) won the elections to the Mozambican parliament with an absolute majority, securing 171 seats, with newcomer Podemos party electing 43, dethroning Renamo as the opposition leader, according to the announcement of the results on 23 December by the president of the Constitutional Council (CC), Lúcia Ribeiro.

Frelimo maintains a parliamentary majority in the tenth legislature, with 171 seats (currently 184). Four parties are now represented, compared to the previous three.

The Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), until now an extra-parliamentary party which supported the presidential candidacy of Venâncio Mondlane, came in second place, gaining the status of the main opposition party, with 43 seats.

According to the results announced by the CC, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) lost its status as the largest opposition party, with 28 elected deputies, compared to the current 60.

In turn, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) increased its parliamentary representation to eight deputies, two more than currently.

The inauguration of the 250 deputies to the Assembly of the Republic precedes the inauguration of the new President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo — supported by Frelimo –, scheduled for Wednesday, January 15, elected with 65.17% of the votes, succeeding Filipe Nyusi in office, according to the results announced by the CC.

Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who does not recognize the election results, considered on Tuesday that the “early” inauguration of the Podemos party deputies would be disrespectful to the memory of the people who died in the protests contesting the election results.

“It is about the memory and respect of those who fell for the cause, of those who have fought day and night since the election campaign until today in the streets and much more, that I recommended against Podemos holding an early inauguration in the Assembly of the Republic. It is a question of respect, above all”, declared Venâncio Mondlane, in an open letter addressed to the president of Podemos, the party that supported his candidacy.

Podemos, registered in May 2019 and composed of dissidents from the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo), has seen its popularity increase since the announcement, on August 21, of its support for Mondlane’s candidacy in the presidential elections, as a result of a “political agreement”, shortly after Mondlane had his supporting coalition, called CAD, rejected by the Constitutional Council for “irregularities”.

According to Mondlane, the inauguration of Podemos deputies, already confirmed by different party bodies, violates the political agreement between the two parties.

“I have never opposed the inauguration and seats in the Assembly of the Republic, I am only opposed to this act taking place in a more defeated manner, in which not even the principles of demands presented to the regime were considered or found”, stresses in the letter by Mondlane, for whom, in light of the law, the non-inauguration does not imply the loss of the parliamentary mandate.

For Venâncio Mondlane, the inauguration of the Podemos party deputies will “weaken the struggle”.

“The electoral process was fraudulent, with Podemos even being harmed by around 90 parliamentary seats,” Mondlane also wrote in the letter, which gives the Podemos party president a three-day deadline to say whether or not he will comply with some of the main clauses of the agreement.

Podemos is the result of a split of former members of Frelimo, who called for more “economic inclusion” and left the party in power at the time, claiming “disenchantment” and different ambitions.

Source: Lusa