This archive report was first published on 28 December 2019.
On December 24, 2019, the Mozambique Constitutional Counsel validated the results of the October 15 elections, which saw the ruling Frelimo party and its candidate, President Filipe Nyusi, win a second five-year term.
The validation of the election results paves the way for President Nyusi's swearing-in in January, following a petition by the opposition Renamo to have the poll annulled.
However, the opposition has vowed to reject the Constitutional Counsel's decision and pursue other means of redress, which could lead to a debilitating bush war.
According to a study published in November by the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (Eisa), Renamo lost 478,000 votes and five parliamentary seats through illicit means, including ballot box stuff and fake voters' registration.
The study found that the votes were diverted in favor of President Nyusi, the candidate of the ruling Frelimo party, and that the exclusion of more than 3,000 observers from polling stations enabled the ruling party to go without any checks.
Analysts say Mozambique is far from securing electoral justice, a key recipe for democracy, and its fragile peace could be disrupted.
Renamo president Ossufo Momade has said that his party will not accept electoral results, even after the CC validated them, and is in talks with the local multiparty institute, parliament, the electoral commission, diplomats, political parties, and academics to ask the international community to help safeguard the country's democracy.
