The Public Integrity Centre (CIP), a Mozambican non-governmental organization that monitors electoral processes, estimates that ten people died during the two days of nationwide demonstrations called by presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane.
"The two days of demonstrations were characterized by an atmosphere of terror in some cities and towns such as Maputo, Matola, Boane, Chimoio, Nampula and Nacala-Porto. The toll so far is around ten people killed by the police, dozens injured and around 500 arrested", reads the most recent CIP bulletin on the electoral process, focusing on the strike and demonstration on Thursday and Friday.
It adds that three headquarters of the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) were burned down over those two days, that several shops were looted and vehicles were set on fire.
"The 24th had started calmly throughout the country, but the scenario changed after the announcement of the election results. Thousands of citizens, mostly young people, took to the streets to contest the election results that gave 70% of votes in favor of Frelimo, a huge fraud never seen in the history of the country", criticizes the bulletin of the CIP, which has observers following the process of the general elections of October 9th.
On Thursday, the National Elections Commission (CNE) of Mozambique announced the victory of Daniel Chapo, supported by Frelimo (the party in power since 1975) in the election for President of the Republic of October 9th, with 70.67% of the votes.
Venâncio Mondlane, supported by the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos, extra-parliamentary), came in second place, with 20.32%, but claims not to recognize these results, which still have to be validated and proclaimed by the Constitutional Council.
Frelimo also strengthened its parliamentary majority, increasing its number of seats from 184 to 195 (out of 250), and elected all 10 provincial governors in the country.
In addition to Mondlane, the president of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo, the current largest opposition party), Ossufo Momade, one of the four presidential candidates, said that he does not recognize the election results announced by the CNE and called for the vote to be annulled.
On Thursday, presidential candidate Lutero Simango, supported by the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), which he leads, also rejected the results, considering that they were "forged in the secretariat", and promised "political and legal action" to restore the "popular will".
The announcement of the results by the CNE once again triggered violent protests and clashes with the police in Mozambique, especially in Maputo, by pro-Venâncio Mondlane demonstrators, who has already said that he will announce the terms of the "third stage" of the contestation on Monday.
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