By A Correspondent

Venâncio Mondlane, an opposition candidate in Mozambique, has declared that he will swear himself in as the country’s fifth elected president on January 15, 2025. He has called on Mozambicans to prepare for the day.

This announcement comes just 34 days before President Nyusi’s term officially ends. However, the ruling party’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, has been declared the winner of the presidential election. The opposition, claiming election fraud, has vowed to challenge the results in court.

According to the national election commission, Chapo won with 70.67% of the vote, while Mondlane, an independent candidate, secured 20.32%. Ossufo Momade, representing the opposition party Renamo, came third with 5.81%.

The October 9 election results mark the continuation of Frelimo’s rule, the governing party that has held power since Mozambique’s independence from Portugal in 1975. Frelimo previously fought a 15-year civil war against Renamo, which later became the main opposition and contested in this election.

The opposition has rejected the outcome and filed a complaint with the Constitutional Council, seeking a ruling on the election results.

The Constitutional Council, which is the highest authority on constitutional and electoral law in Mozambique, has instructed the National Elections Commission (CNE) to address discrepancies in the vote counts across the presidential, parliamentary, and provincial assembly elections. When the CNE announced preliminary results on October 24, it acknowledged the discrepancies but stated it did not have sufficient time to investigate them thoroughly before the results deadline.

The Constitutional Council has three weeks to complete its investigation, and a final decision is still awaited.

Meanwhile, the Council of State convened earlier today at 10 a.m. to discuss the political situation amid ongoing post-election protests. Mozambicans are now awaiting the outcome of these deliberations.