Mozambique highest court upholds disputed ruling party’s election win

Mozambique’s highest court on Monday (23 December) confirmed the results of the country’s disputed presidential election, extending the ruling Frelimo party’s half-century grip on power.

The Constitutional Council in Mozambique has validated Frelimo’s win of increased parliamentary majority in the October election that sparked widespread protests from opposition groups who insist the vote was rigged.

Despite widespread allegations of electoral fraud, the Council’s seven judges ruled that Frelimo’s presidential candidate Daniel Chapo had secured 65% of the vote, revising down the initial results of nearly 71%. Over 130 people were killed in clashes with police during the widespread protests against the election results, according to the civil society monitoring group Plataforma Decide. The unrest represents the largest public opposition to Frelimo’s rule since the party took power at independence in 1975.

Opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane, a 50-year-old evangelical pastor now in exile, who finished second with 24%, maintains that the election was deeply flawed and has insisted there is “no way” he will recognize the court’s ruling. He previously fled the country, alleging police harassment and pointing to the killings of two of his aides during the election period.

Mondlane, who has taken refuge abroad for fear of his safety, had vowed to call for “a popular uprising” if the Constitutional Council approved Chapo’s victory, warning of “difficult days ahead.” “Even though the signs were there, we never thought that the electoral truth would be trampled,” a Mondlane’s representative said. “The will of the people was obliterated.”

Despite calls for calm from Pope Francis and reported discussions between Mondlane and outgoing President Filipe Nyusi, the dispute remains unresolved. Monitoring groups have recorded over 100 fatalities linked to the ongoing unrest, casting doubt on whether any negotiated settlement can satisfy all parties.

Western observers have criticized the election as neither free nor fair, while Frelimo has consistently denied vote-rigging accusations. Chapo is likely to officially take over the presidency from Filipe Nysui whose second term ends on 15 January. Tensions remain high in the capital Maputo, with many businesses shuttered, police barricading major roads and Mondlane’s supporters pledging to continue their protests.