Mozambican opposition leader announces he will be sworn into office on 15 January, as Nyusi’s terms end

Opposition candidate, Venâncio Mondlane has announced that on January 15, 2025, he will be sworn in as Mozambique’s 5th elected president.

He urged Mozambicans to prepare for that day.

Apparently, it is 34 days before President Nyusi leaves the presidency.

However, Mozambique’s ruling party candidate Daniel Chapo was declared the winner of the country’s presidential election as the opposition claimed the vote was rigged and one party said it would challenge the result in court.

According to the national election commission, Chapo won with 70,67% of the national vote, followed by independent candidate Venancio Mondlane with 20,32% of the vote.

The candidate of the opposition party Renamo, Ossufo Momade, came third with 5,81% of the total votes.

The results of the Oct. 9 election mean the governing Front for the Liberation of Mozambique party, or Frelimo, has extended its 49 years in power since the southern African country gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

It then fought a bloody 15-year civil war against rebel group Renamo, which later became the main opposition party and also contested this election.

The main opposition rejected the outcome and a complaint was made to the Constitutional Council to make a ruling on the matter.

Constitutional Council, Mozambique’s highest body in matters of constitutional and electoral law, has ordered the National Elections Commission (CNE) to explain the discrepancies in the numbers of votes cast in the three elections that were held on 9 October – the presidential, parliamentary and provincial assembly elections.

When it handed over the preliminary results of the elections on 24 October, the CNE admitted that the discrepancies exist, but claimed it did not have time to investigate them thoroughly before the deadline for announcing the results.

The Council had three weeks to investigate and make a determination which is still pending.

Meanwhile, Council of State met earlier today, 10 am to analyze the political situation in the country, as post election protests rage on.

Mozambicans await the conclusions of the meeting.

Zwnews