Mozambique Elections: There are “no motives” for deaths in the demonstrations – Nyusi

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Mozambique Elections: There are “no motives” for deaths in the demonstrations – Nyusi

3:01 CAT | 19 Nov 2024

Photo: Presidente Filipe Nyusi/Facebook

The Mozambican president called on Monday for an end to the destruction of infrastructure in the ongoing demonstrations and stoppages, saying that there are “no motives” for deaths in disputes over election results, acknowledging that “differences will never end”.

“There are no motives, no reasons for Mozambicans to die, just as there is no motive or reason to destroy the country built with sacrifice by all of us. This desire does not exist, the desire for death, for destruction, for injustice,” said the President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, during a reception for national political groups to discuss post-election tension.

Filipe Nyusi acknowledged that the country is experiencing “an atmosphere of panic” in the face of the demonstrations and strikes called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane to contest the results of the October 9 elections.

“We are approximately 40 days after the elections and almost 25 after the announcement by the National Electoral Commission (…). I don’t want to say who is right or wrong, but what has no reason is that anyone should die,” stated Nyusi, asking political parties to “work collectively” to find “a common denominator” among Mozambicans.

“Now, how this happens is something we have been looking at. Our request is to hold consultations on what we are seeing and assess whether we need to stop. The differences will never end, there is no place where the differences have ended, it does not exist, it is unknown, [if it were our case] we would not be of this world,” President Nyusi warned.

At least 25 people died and another 26 were shot between 13 and 17 November in demonstrations contesting the results of Mozambique’s general elections, according to an update from the Decide electoral platform released yesterday.

These deaths and shootings occurred in at least five Mozambican provinces, during the fourth stage of stoppages called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, who is contesting the victory of Daniel Chapo, the candidate supported by the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo), with 70.67% of the vote, according to the results announced by the National Electoral Commission (CNE).

According to the election monitoring platform, there were also 135 arrests in the country following the protests, most of them in Zambézia, in the centre of the country, with a total of 25 detainees.

Venâncio Mondlane, who came second with 20.32% of the vote, according to the CNE, said he does not recognise the results of the elections, which must still be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council, which has no deadlines for doing so and is still analysing the dispute.

Following protests that brought the country to a standstill on 21, 24 and 25 October, Mondlane once again called on the public to go on a seven-day general strike from 31 October, with nationwide protests and a demonstration in Maputo on 7 November, which caused chaos in the capital, with reports of deaths, barricades, burning tyres and police firing shots and tear gas throughout the day to disperse them.

Source: Lusa