LILONGWE, Malawi
Despite a ruling by Mozambique’s top court earlier this week declaring Daniel Chapo of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) as the winner of the October 9 polls, opposition leader Venancio Mondlane has vowed to install himself as president on January 15, claiming his mandate has been stolen.
On Monday, the Constitutional Council confirmed that Chapo had won the disputed presidential election on October 9, extending the party’s 49-year rule. However, it reduced his victory margin from 71% to 65% of the vote.
Mondlane of the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos) announced to his supporters on social media late Tuesday that he will assume the presidency on January 15, the same day that Chapo is expected to be sworn in.
Mozambique has seen violent protests since late October, when the electoral authority declared 47-year-old Chapo the winner with 71% of the vote, defeating Mondlane, who secured 20% of the ballot.
Mondlane rejected the results, claiming widespread vote rigging and calling on his supporters to protest. The Constitutional Council was then tasked with handling the case.
Fresh protests erupted immediately following the court announcement, and 21 people were confirmed killed over two days of violence, which included attacks on gas stations, police stations, and banks.
“A total of 236 acts of serious violence have been reported across the country, which so far has 25 wounded and about 21 losing lives,” Interior Minister Pascoal Ronda told journalists.
The latest fatalities brought the death toll in the country to 151 since Oct. 21, according to Plataforma Decide, an election monitoring group.
Protesters have been accused of vandalizing police stations and other public institutions. While civil society and rights groups accuse Mozambican security officials of using excessive force in quelling protests.
