Mozambique awaits election results as the ruling party looks to extend its rule beyond 50 years

MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Mozambicans awaited early election results Thursday, a day later a vote for a new president was peaceful, although opposition candidates alleged fraud and manipulation by the long-time ruling party.

Vote counting began immediately after polls closed Wednesday evening, and some preliminary results from the 11 provinces could be released within days. The final results must be submitted to the Constitutional Council within 15 days so that they can be ratified and declared official.

The ruler Front for the Liberation of Mozambiqueor Frelimo, has been in power for 49 years since Mozambique gained independence from colonial ruler Portugal in 1975, although the country did not hold its first elections until 1994 due to a 15-year post-independence civil war.

Frelimo’s Daniel Chapo is favored to succeed President Filipe Nyusi, who has served a maximum of two terms. Chapo, 47, is a new face for Frelimo after emerging as a surprise presidential candidate in an internal vote in May.

The strongest challenge to Chapo could be independent Venancio Mondlane, analysts say. He is a newcomer to national politics who has struck a chord with young people unhappy with unemployment and corruption in government in the South African country with around 33 million inhabitants.

Mondlane and the two other presidential challengers all expressed concerns about the voting process on Wednesday, saying, among other things, that ballot boxes were opened before voting ended and some delegates from their parties were denied accreditation to monitor the vote.

Frelimo has often been accused of rigging elections. Last year, after winning local elections, there were violent riots that was suppressed by security forces.

“Young people will not tolerate more fraud,” Mondlane said.

The head of the European Union’s observer delegation said on Thursday that no major problems had been reported on election day, although it was too early to draw any conclusions. Mozambican election monitoring group Sala da Paz also said it was worrying that some party delegates were denied access to polling stations and were unable to monitor the vote.

Mozambique has a long coastline with tropical beaches on the Indian Ocean, has abundant natural resources and is an important gateway for the region. However, it was hampered by instability and hit by Hurricanes and other climate shocks.

It is fighting a jihadist insurgency in the northern province of Cabo Delgado that has retreated Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced and halted new multibillion-dollar natural gas projects seen as crucial to the economy. The vote in Cabo Delgado took place despite security problems.

Frelimo is a former left-wing liberation movement that founded a one-party state after independence. They fought a bloody civil war against the Renamo rebel group, which became the main opposition after a 1992 peace deal. The peace between Frelimo and Renamo was fragile, further fighting broke out in 2013 and another contract was signed in 2019.

The four candidates for president are Chapo, Mondlane, Renamo’s Ossufo Momade and Lutero Simango of the small Mozambique Democratic Movement party. Mozambicans voted for the president, the composition of parliament and provincial governors in the one-day election.

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