Mozambique elections: Frelimo/Nyusi victory seems unstoppable – even in Sofala | AIM

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Mozambique elections: Frelimo/Nyusi victory seems unstoppable – even in Sofala | AIM

9:13 CAT | 21 Oct 2019

Screen shots of the results for the presidential, parliamentary and Proviincial parliaments elections posted on rprovisorio.stae.org.mz, seen on 21 October 2019, 9 a.m. CAT.

As more polling station results from last Tuesday’s Mozambican general and provincial elections become available, so the landslide victory for the incumbent president Filipe Nyusi and the ruling Frelimo Party, even in provinces once regarded as opposition strongholds, becomes increasingly evident.

The latest count from a sample of almost 3,000 polling stations, published in the “Mozambique Political Process Bulletin”, issued by the anti-corruption NGO, the Centre for Public Integrity (CIP) gives Nyusi and Frelimo an unassailable lead.

This count indicates that Nyusi has won 71 per cent of the vote. His nearest rival, Ossufo Momade, leader of the main opposition party Renamo, has taken about 21 per cent and Daviz Simango, mayor of Beira and leader of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) comes third with seven per cent.

Frelimo is on track to win at least nine of the ten provincial governorships. The only province in doubt is Zambezia. An illegal drive to prevent independent observation in Zambezia was successful, with the result that observers do not have enough polling station results from this province to make a definitive forecast.

Frelimo must be delighted that it has won in Sofala province, which was the cradle of both Renamo and the MDM.

On Saturday night, at a ceremony in Beira, the Sofala Provincial Elections Commission announced the following results:

Presidential elections

Filipe Nyusi (Frelimo) 377,902 (67.78 per cent)

Daviz Simango (MDM) 65,066 (11.67 per cent)

Ossufo Momade (Renamo) 111,925 (20.08 per cent)

Parliamentary election

Frelimo 361,408 (66.25 per cent)

MDM 67,115 (12.31 per cent)

Renamo 110,385 (20.25 per cent)

These figures omit the blank and invalid votes, and the derisory number of votes cast for minor parties and candidates.

As for the Provincial Assembly elections, Frelimo won in all districts in Sofala, including the provincial capital, Beira. This city has long been a stronghold, first of Renamo, and, since 2009, of the MDM. MDM leader Daviz Simango was re-elected mayor of Beira in last year’s municipal elections, and his term of office expires in 2023.

Renamo boycotted the Beira ceremony, and refused to speak to reporters about the result. The independent television station STV reported that the MDM was present, but denounced the results as “shameful” because of alleged ballot box stuffing.

Source: AIM