2024 Mozambican general election

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2024 Mozambican general election
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Presidential election
 
Daniel Chapo 2016.jpg
Venancio Mondlane 2024 (cropped).jpg Ossufo Momade crop.jpg
Nominee Daniel Chapo Venâncio Mondlane Ossufo Momade
Party FRELIMO PODEMOS RENAMO
Popular vote4,416,3061,639,333448,738
Percentage65.17%24.19%6.62%
President before election

Filipe Nyusi
FRELIMO

Elected President

Daniel Chapo
FRELIMO

Parliamentary election
All 250 seats in the Assembly of the Republic
126 seats needed for a majority
PartyLeaderSeats+/–
FRELIMO Filipe Nyusi 171−13
PODEMOS Albino Forquilha43New
RENAMO Ossufo Momade 28−32
MDM Lutero Simango 8+2
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

General elections were held in Mozambique on 9 October 2024 to elect the president, the 250 members of the Assembly of the Republic and members of the ten provincial assemblies. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

The ruling FRELIMO party, which has increasingly become marked with growing concerns of authoritarianism and impunity amid the controversies surrounding the 2023 local elections and the 2019 general election, [4] was declared the winner of the election, with its leader, Daniel Chapo, proclaimed as president-elect. This was disputed by Venâncio Mondlane, with his party PODEMOS claiming Mondlane had received 53% of the vote using data from their poll observers. The result was also questioned by the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique and the European Union, while deadly protests broke out over the election results, with at least 250 deaths, mostly demonstrators being killed by police and army forces. [5] [6]

Background

FRELIMO, which has ruled the country since 1975 when they created a one-party Marxist–Leninist state, allowed multi-party elections as part of the peace process that ended the Mozambican Civil War in 1994; however, the opposition has decried these elections as rigged in FRELIMO's favor. After the 2023 local elections protests broke out due to alleged fraud on the part of FRELIMO with the police killing at least three protesters. Public perceptions of the election were muted, as many view a FRELIMO victory as a foregone conclusion. [7]

Electoral system

The president is elected using the two-round system. [8] The 250 members of the Assembly of the Republic are elected by proportional representation in eleven multi-member constituencies based on the country's provinces and on a first-past-the-post basis from two single-member constituencies representing Mozambican citizens in Africa and Europe. Seats in the multi-member constituencies are allocated using the d'Hondt method, with an electoral threshold of 5%. [9] Official results are announced by the National Election Commission (CNE) after 15 days and must subsequently be validated by the Constitutional Council. [10]

Concerns have been raised over discrepancies in the total number of registered voters, which stands at more than 17 million. [11] The non-governmental organisation Centro de Integridade Pública, citing data published by the CNE, said that there are 878,868 more registered voters than there are voting age adults in some provinces, leading them to describe 5% of the electorate as "ghost voters". The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance also notes the existence of "ghost voters" in seven of the country's ten provinces, with up to a third of the registered voting population in Gaza Province believed to be non-existent. [12]

Candidates

Amélia Muendane, Luísa Diogo, Jaime Basílio Monteiro, José Pacheco, Celso Correia, and Samora Machel junior. On 5 May 2024, after a meeting of its Central Committee, FRELIMO named Daniel Chapo, a 47-year old law professor and former governor of Inhambane Province, as its candidate in the upcoming election to succeed outgoing president Filipe Nyusi. [13] Chapo is the first presidential candidate of FRELIMO who was born after Mozambique gained independence in 1975. [12]

On the same date, the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) selected its leader, Lutero Simango , to be its candidate for the October elections. [14]

Other candidates include Ossufo Momade, the leader of the RENAMO party since 2018 who had lost in the 2019 presidential election to Nyusi, and Venâncio Mondlane, a banker and forestry engineer [10] who ran as an independent after breaking away from RENAMO following an unsuccessful bid in the mayoral election in Maputo in 2023 that was marred by allegations of electoral fraud. [12] Mondlane was supported by the newly established Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (PODEMOS), as well as the Democratic Alliance, a coalition of opposition parties that were barred from contesting the election. [15] [16] Mondlane was registered as the PODEMOS party's presidential candidate for this election. [17] [18] Also, the president of the PODEMOS party, Albino Forquilha, said that he allows for the possibility of Mondlane becoming the party leader in the future. [19]

Campaign

Campaigning was held from August to 6 October. [20] Both Chapo and Mondlane also made campaign stops in neighbouring South Africa, appealing to overseas voters there. [12] All three candidates named the resolution of the Insurgency in Cabo Delgado as their main priority. [20] Chapo was seen as the favorite to win the election. [7] Independent candidate Venâncio Mondlane was seen as the biggest challenge to Chapo. [21]

Conduct

The Southern African Development Community sent 52 election observers to monitor the election. [20] Observers were also deployed by the African Union and the European Union. [21] However, more than 200 polling stations denied journalists and observers access to the vote counting process with the election watchdog group Sala da Paz stating: "There were significant cases of .... electoral irregularities that may raise questions about the credibility of the process." [22]

Polling opened at 07:00 and closed at 18:00. [23] Chapo's rivals alleged instances of fraud such as ballot boxes being unsealed before voting ended and some of their representatives being denied accreditation to monitor the vote. [21]

Results

Opposition candidate Venâncio Mondlane preemptively declared himself victor. [24]

By 16 October preliminary reports showed Chapo in the lead. [25] On 24 October, the CNE announced that Chapo won the election with 71% of the vote, while turnout was at 43%. It also said that FRELIMO won in all provincial elections and won 195 of the 250 seats in parliament, with PODEMOS winning 31 seats and RENAMO winning 20. [26] PODEMOS disputed the results, publishing their own parallel count from their election monitors which showed Mondlane won with 53% of the vote and the party won 138 seats. PODEMOS provided over 660 pounds of tabulated ballots to support their election count. [27] On 23 December, the Constitutional Council published and validated the election results, which were different from the preliminary outcome announced by the CNE. [28]

President

CandidatePartyVotes%
Daniel Chapo FRELIMO 4,416,30665.17
Venâncio Mondlane PODEMOS 1,639,33324.19
Ossufo Momade RENAMO 448,7386.62
Lutero Simango MDM 272,7364.02
Total6,777,113100.00
Valid votes6,777,11393.63
Invalid votes205,6012.84
Blank votes255,3133.53
Total votes7,238,027100.00
Registered voters/turnout17,169,23942.16
Source: Conselho Constitucional

Assembly

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
FRELIMO 171–13
PODEMOS 43New
RENAMO 28–32
Democratic Movement of Mozambique 8+2
Total2500
Total votes7,245,651–
Registered voters/turnout17,169,23942.20
Source: Conselho Constitucional

Provincial elections

ProvinceSeats
FRELIMO RENAMO MDM
Cabo Delgado Province
Gaza Province
Inhambane Province
Manica Province
Maputo Province
Nampula Province
Niassa Province
Sofala Province
Tete Province
Zambezia Province
Total
Source:

Aftermath

Reactions

Related Research Articles

Mozambique was a Portuguese colony, overseas province and later a member state of Portugal. It gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Mozambique</span>

Politics in Mozambique takes place in a framework of a semi-presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Mozambique is head of state and head of government in a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Assembly of the Republic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FRELIMO</span> Ruling party of Mozambique since 1975

FRELIMO is a democratic socialist political party in Mozambique. It has governed the country since its independence from Portugal in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Operation in Mozambique</span>

The United Nations Operations in Mozambique was a UN peace mission to Mozambique established in December 1992 under Security Council Resolution 797 with the assignment to monitor the implementation of the Rome General Peace Accords agreed upon by the Mozambican president Joaquim Chissano of FRELIMO, the Front for Liberation of Mozambique, and Afonso Dhlakama of RENAMO, the Mozambican National Resistance. The operation was one of the most significant and extensive UN operations and it sought to demobilize and disarm troops, provide humanitarian aid, and oversee the elections. The operation ended in December 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Armando Guebuza</span> President of Mozambique from 2005 to 2015

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Mozambican general election</span>

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Lutero Simango is a Mozambique politician from the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM). He has been a member of the Assembly of the Republic since 2000, where he is leader of his party.

Since 11 October 2024, demonstrators in Mozambique have mounted protests against the 2024 Mozambican general election.

References

  1. ↑ "Mozambique to Hold Presidential Election Oct. 9 Next Year". Bloomberg. 4 August 2023.
  2. ↑ "Mozambique to Hold General Elections On October 9, Next Year • 360 Mozambique". 360 Mozambique. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  3. ↑ "Mozambique: Presidential, legislative elections scheduled for 9 October 2024". Mozambique. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "Mozambique: October 9". Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "Mozambique top court confirms ruling party's win in disputed election". Al Jazeera . Retrieved 23 December 2024.
  6. ↑ "Mozambique post-election violence kills 125 in three days: NGO". France 24 . Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 Peyton, Nellie; Mucari, Manuel. "Mozambique ruling party eyes new term as election runs peacefully". Reuters . Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  8. ↑ Republic of Mozambique: Election for President (President) IFES
  9. ↑ Electoral system IPU
  10. 1 2 "Mozambique's presidential election: Here's what to know". Africanews. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  11. ↑ "'We will win!': Mozambique's ruling party confident at final vote rally". France 24. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Fresh faces in Mozambique's poll as independence era leaders bow out". BBC. 6 October 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  13. ↑ "Mozambique's ruling party names new leader ahead of elections". Africanews. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  14. ↑ "Mozambique: MDM elects Lutero Simango as its presidential candidate". Club of Mozambique. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  15. ↑ "Mozambique votes for president and the ruling party could extend its 49 years in power". Associated Press. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  16. ↑ "Mozambique's election: Who's contesting and what's at stake?". Al Jazeera. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "Venâncio Mondlane não reconhece possível vitória de Daniel Chapo". RFI (in Portuguese). 14 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  18. ↑ "O país acorda em suspense: Quem irá liderar Moçambique?". dw.com (in Portuguese). 10 October 2024. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  19. ↑ SAPO. "Moçambique. Podemos admite que Venâncio Mondlane se possa tornar líder do partido". SAPO 24 (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  20. 1 2 3 Mangwiro, Charles; Magome, Mogomotsi (7 October 2024). "Mozambique headed for crucial elections amid jihadist insurgency and drought-induced hunger". Associated Press. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  21. 1 2 3 Mangwiro, Charles (10 October 2024). "Mozambique counts votes in its presidential election as opposition alleges fraud". Associated Press. Retrieved 10 October 2024.
  22. ↑ Peyton, Nellie. "Mozambique counts votes amid allegations of irregularities". Reuters . Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  23. ↑ "Mozambique elects new president in tense vote". France 24. 9 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  24. ↑ "Mozambique Elections: Attorney-General's Office summons Venâncio Mondlane – AIM". clubofmozambique.com. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  25. ↑ Mucari, Manuel. "Mozambique ruling party leads early election results as opposition cries foul". Reuters . Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  26. ↑ Nesta Kupemba, Danai; Nyoka, Shingai (24 October 2024). "Mozambique's ruling party wins landslide in disputed poll". BBC News. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  27. ↑ Hill, Matthew. "Mozambican Opposition Leader Warns of New Election Protests". Bloomberg news . Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  28. ↑ "Acórdão nº 24/CC/2024 - Validação de Eleições Gerais (Presidencial e dos Deputados da Assembleia da República) e das Assembleias Provinciais e do Governador de Província" (PDF). Constitutional Council (in Portuguese). 22 December 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
  29. ↑ "China congratulates Daniel Chapo on election as Mozambique's President". TVC News . 26 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  30. ↑ "President Ramaphosa welcomes preliminary General Elections results in Mozambique". Department of International Relations and Cooperation . 27 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  31. ↑ "South Africa closes its border again with Mozambique, where post-election violence worsens". Associated Press . 7 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
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