Paul Nyathi|As more polling station data is processed from Tuesday’s general and provincial elections in Mozambique, incumbent President Filipe Nyusi and the ruling Frelimo Party are extending their lead.

From a source in the Zambezia branch of the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), AIM found that by 13.30 on Wednesday, presidential ballots from 745 polling stations had been processed, giving the following result:

Filipe Nyusi (Frelimo) 133,509 (65 per cent)

Ossufo Momade (Renamo) 51,299 (24 per cent)

Daviz Simango (MDM) 7,733 (4 per cent)

As for the parliamentary election, data from 455 Zambezia polling stations have been processed, with the following result:

Frelimo 71,931 (59 per cent)

Renamo 31,469 (25 per cent)

MDM 4,257 (3 per cent)

Data on the provincial assembly election is available from 469 polling stations, and they give similar results:

Frelimo 79,556 (61 per cent)

Renamo 34,864 (26 per cent)

MDM 5,058 (4 per cent)

The above percentages omit the handful of votes won by minor parties, and the spoilt ballots.

But these figures come from a minority of the polling stations. Zambezia is the second largest provincial constituency, with 2.13 million registered voters and 3,219 polling stations. As the data from polling stations in the more remote parts of the province, where Renamo is likely to do well, becomes available, the Frelimo lead could shrink or even disappear.