Frelimo Secures Total Control in Mozambique Elections, Renamo Suffers Crushing Defeat
Maputo, Mozambique – The National Elections Commission (CNE) is set to announce the official national results of the Mozambican elections this afternoon, but preliminary results indicate a landslide victory for the ruling Frelimo party. Frelimo has gained 11 seats in the national parliament, giving it a total of 195 seats, which is more than three-quarters of the total seats.
This decisive win grants Frelimo unilateral power to change the constitution, further solidifying its grip on power. On the other hand, the main opposition party, Renamo, has suffered a crushing defeat, losing two-thirds of its seats in parliament, from 60 to 20. This loss will have significant financial implications for Renamo, as the second-largest party in parliament typically receives a substantial amount of state funding.
In a surprising turn of events, Podemos has emerged as the second-largest party in parliament, with 31 seats, while the MDM party has seen its representation reduced from 6 to 4 seats.
The presidential election has also seen a significant shift, with Venancio Mondlane, the candidate from Podemos, receiving 1,412,511 votes, surpassing Renamo’s Ossufo Momade, who garnered only 403,591 votes. As the second-most voted presidential candidate, Mondlane will replace Momade on the Council of State.
However, the electoral process has not been without controversy. The CNE has rejected demands from the European Union, political parties, lawyers, and civil society to make polling station results sheets public, citing that it is outside their mandate. Nevertheless, the law requires that this information be sent to the CNE, and it is possible for the commission to compile and publish the results.
Furthermore, the CNE has failed to check invalid votes, which is a requirement by law. This has raised concerns about potential fraud and the exclusion of valid votes for opposition parties.
In a related development, the Constitutional Council has asked the Supreme Court to send it Venancio Mondlane’s cases, as part of an ongoing power struggle between the two institutions. The council has justified this request, citing the need to analyze and validate the results of the general elections.
The outcome of the elections has significant implications for Mozambique’s political landscape, and the country will be watching closely as the CNE announces the official results this afternoon.
Stay tuned for further updates and analysis from Media Talk Africa.
