Election in Mozambique: Who is running and what is at stake? | Election News

Mozambicans are heading to the polls to take part in elections that could produce for the first time a president born after the country’s independence from Portuguese colonizers in 1975.

Around 17 million of the country’s 32 million inhabitants are eligible to vote on Wednesday in the resource-rich coastal country in southern Africa. Parliamentary and provincial elections are held simultaneously in the eleven provinces.

President Filipe Nyusi, 65, of the ruling Mozambican Liberation Front (Frelimo) party, will step down after eight years in office.

He may be the last of Frelimo’s independence fighters and later presidents who were on the front lines of the brutal liberation war in which thousands of Mozambicans were killed.

Nyusi’s presidency has been marred by a huge “Tuna Bonds” corruption scandal (2013-2016) that saw high-ranking Frelimo government members jailed – including a former finance minister who was convicted in the United States in August. Several politicians involved were found to have accepted bribes to arrange secret loan guarantees for state-controlled fishing companies.

Voters are divided over the competing candidates’ promises of change. At the same time, some older Mozambicans are less enthusiastic about a change in the old guard.

But many of the country’s youth say they are tired of the old system and want more jobs and security amid high levels of poverty and an armed conflict in the north.

What you should know about the elections:

Who is running?

There are four approved candidates for president:

Daniel Chapo, 47

According to analysts, the new politician is considered the favorite to win the election because he enjoys the power of Frelimo as the incumbent. Chapo only entered politics in 2011, but quickly rose to become Frelimo president in May 2024 after stints as provincial governor in the southern coastal town of Inhambane. The politician claims that his experience gives him an advantage over his competitors.

During the six-week election campaign, which officially ended on Sunday, Chapo distanced himself from Frelimo’s image of corruption. He also promised that peace would be restored in Cabo Delgado province, which has been affected by years of armed conflict.

Chapo traveled to neighboring South Africa in September to appeal to Mozambican’s large population who can vote abroad. He also met top leaders of South Africa’s main party, the African National Congress (ANC) – both Frelimo and the ANC see themselves as allies because of their history of liberation struggles.

But many voters, particularly young people, are finding it difficult to rid Chapo of the decay and corruption that have characterized Frelimo’s 49 years in power, analysts say. In some parts of the country, Frelimo is so hated that party members are booed during election campaigns. Some agree the party is likely to win — but probably through fraud. Opposition parties are already claiming that there are “ghost voters” on the electoral roll.

Ossufo Momade, 63

Momade is the leader of the opposition Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), which holds only 60 of 250 parliamentary seats and only a few of the 65 municipalities.

Unlike Chapo, Momade is still part of the old guard, having fought in the Mozambican Civil War (1977–1992), which pitted Frelimo against former rebel groups including Renamo, which was later transformed into a political party.

Momade’s age has not diminished his appeal among Renamo supporters in areas such as northern Nampula. The politician is still celebrated as the Renamo leader who signed peace agreements that ended the Renamo uprising after the civil war (2013–2018) in 2019.

The opposition leader vied for the presidency in the 2019 elections but secured only 21 percent of the vote, compared to President Nyusi’s 73 percent. Momade disputed the results and claimed the elections were fraudulent – as did European Union observers. Renamo officials also condemned the October 2023 local elections, in which Frelimo won in almost every place.

Venancio Mondlane, 50

The charismatic Mondlane, nicknamed VM7, has secured a strong base among young Mozambicans – people aged 25 and younger make up two-thirds of the population.

Mondlane was a former Renamo MP in the Mozambican House of Assembly and unsuccessfully ran for mayor of the capital Maputo in 2023. However, he left Renamo when Momade did not resign.

Mondlane is running as an independent and is supported by the Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD), a coalition of nine political groups. In social media posts, many young Mozambicans say that only Mondlane can guarantee change for the country. The furore surrounding him is raising concerns among some analysts about post-election violence – not uncommon in Mozambique.

Like his counterparts, Mondlane has promised to end violence in Cabo Delgado, create jobs and strengthen the health system.

Lutero Simango, 64

As leader of Mozambique’s third largest party, the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), Simango’s election promises focused on building factories to create more jobs for young people by ensuring that natural resources such as wood are processed within the country rather than exported .

How big are the elections?

In addition to electing a new president, voters will also choose:

• 250 MPs
• Provincial governors and officials in some of the 11 provinces

What are the core topics?

Almost all candidates focused on three main issues:

Armed conflict in Cabo Delgado

For many Mozambicans, the armed conflict between ISIL and Mozambique in the gas-rich northern province of Cabo Delgado is most important.

In 2017, a local group of militants called al-Shabab (not affiliated with the armed group of the same name in Somalia) began brutally attacking locals, beheading people, and destroying businesses and infrastructure.

In 2020, airstrips and ports were destroyed as militants seized the town of Mocímboa da Praia, home to multi-billion dollar gas projects by the French energy company Total and the American company ExxonMobil. Since then, hundreds have been killed and 1.3 million displaced.

The group officially merged with the ISIL (or ISIS) group in May 2022. Thousands of troops from Rwanda and the Southern African Regional Development Community have been deployed in the region since July 2021. While they recaptured areas and allowed some residents to return, analysts say the troops failed to hold those areas and fighters are regrouping. Around 100,000 people were newly displaced.

Frelimo’s Chapo said he would hold talks with the militants – a first-of-its-kind strategy – while continuing ground offensives.

Creating jobs and stimulating the economy

Two-thirds of Mozambique’s population is under 25, but many are out of work as the country faces high unemployment and poverty.

According to the World Bank, the COVID-19 shocks have caused the number of poor people to rise from 13 million to 18 million. This is despite the country’s vast natural gas, graphite and gold deposits, as well as sandy beaches that attract tourists.

Corruption has further depleted resources. The “tuna bonds” scandal led officials to raid loans, costing the country $2 billion in “hidden debt” that triggered a financial crisis after the International Monetary Fund temporarily cut off financial support in 2016.

Climate resilience

The major presidential candidates have all mentioned that they are focused on development issues and solving the hunger crisis.

Mozambique’s vulnerability to climate shocks is exacerbating ongoing hunger. According to the World Food Program, about 1.3 million people in the country are suffering severe food shortages due to a drought caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon, which is driving up temperatures.

In 2019, Mozambique was hit by Hurricane Idai in March and Hurricane Kenneth in April. More than 1,500 people died.

When will the results be announced?

The counting of votes will begin immediately after polls close on Wednesday and partial results will be announced after they are compiled.

The National Election Commission will announce the official counts after 15 days. The contesting parties can then lodge an objection with the Constitutional Council, which will decide on the merits.