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Ranga Mataire
Zimpapers Politics Hub
MOZAMBICANS are today voting to elect a president and legislative representatives in an election that the ruling Frelimo party is almost assured of victory despite a stiff challenge from a charismatic newcomer in the name of Venacio Mondlande.
President Filipe Nyusi is stepping down after two terms and the party’s presidential candidate Daniel Chapo is expected to replace him.
The revolutionary Frelimo party has governed Mozambique since the attainment of independence from Portugal in 1975.
The more than 17 million registered Mozambican voters are expected to turn out in large numbers to elect a successor to President Filipe Nyusi, who is largely credited for inking a peace deal with the former rebel movement, Renamo in August 2019.
The signing brought an end to a long peace negotiation process initiated by Renamo’s former leader, Alfonso Dhlakama, who died in 2018. Since the signing of the peace accord, relative peace returned to Mozambique save for the conflict in Cabo Delgado Province, which has since subsided, and had nothing to do with the earlier Renamo conflict.
All appears set for the country’s 7th general elections with voting expected to start at exactly 7am running up to 6pm. At least 26 328 polling stations have been set in Mozambique and abroad.
Although Frelimo’s presidential candidate is expected to cruise to victory, he will have to fend off competition from three other candidates. The 47-year old Cde Chapo of Frelimo is a former governor of the southern province of Inhambane, known for its tourism economy.
His major challenger is 50-year-old Mondlane, a banker and forestry engineer who is running as an independent candidate under the slogan “Save Mozambique, this country is ours.” Mondlane is backed by the Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique or Podemos, comprising a large number of people who left the ruling Frelimo. He once ran in and lost the Maputo mayoral race last year.
Another candidate trying his luck for the presidency is Lutero Simango of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (DMM), which was formed in 2008.
It is a breakaway party from the rebel group turned opposition Renamo. Running on policies to do with inequality and jobs, Simango’s party is finding affinity among the youths.
Renamo is represented by Ossufo Momade, who became the party’s head after the death of Dhlakama.
The quest for lasting peace is a pertinent issue in this election. The conflict in Cabo Delgado being instigated by the Islamic State-affiliated group has since subsided with around 600 000 of the 1,3 million people who once fled the province having returned home. The candidates have promised to address development issues worsened by the insurgency.
There is just one day of voting and counting starts immediately. Partial results are announced as they come in with official results being announced by the National Election Commission by the latest after 15 days and subsequently validated by the Constitutional Council. Any party may file objections with the council, which will make a determination of the merits of the objections.
In accordance with Article 8 of the SADC Principles and Guidelines, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, who is the chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, appointed Dr Amani Abeid Karume, a former president of Zanzibar, to head the SADC Observer Mission in Mozambique and has mandated the SADC Secretariat to coordinate the mission, including the facilitation of in-country deployment of observers.
The independent Electoral Commissions Forum has also deployed an observer mission and is led by Judge Dr Manuel Pereira da Silva, chairperson of the National Electoral Commission of Angola.
The mission comprises of 24 short term observers drawn from eight electoral commissions of Angola, DRC, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Zanzibar and Zimbabwe.
The terms of reference of the Electoral Commissions Forum election observer mission include; assessment of the preparedness of the National Electoral Commission of Mozambique to conduct elections; observe the pre-election environment; observe the conduct of the election itself; and evaluate the electoral process and make recommendations that will contribute to the improvement of electoral management in Mozambique.
Other observer missions invited by the National Election Commission of Mozambique include the European Union, which is being led by Laura Ballarin Cereza, a member of the European Union Parliament.
The EU Observer Mission has already deployed 32 long-term observers to the country’s 11 provinces, including the conflict-affected Cabo Delgado.
The Commonwealth Observer group is headed by former Prime Minister of Saint Lucia Kenny Anthony and his group is mandated to observe the opening, voting closing, counting and results management processes.
Frelimo chairman in Zimbabwe, Cde Araujo Tomas Mafupe said all was set for the successful holding of the elections.
At least 60 polling stations have been set up in Zimbabwe to allow Mozambicans resident here to cast their votes.
“All the voting material has already been dispatched to polling stations. All the ballot papers, ink and other related materials required for voting processes are already on site at various polling stations. Polling agents are already on site to ensure the elections are free, fair and credible,” said Cde Mafupe.
He urged Mozambicans to come out in their numbers to cast their vote.
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