Lawyer for a Mozambican opposition politician is fatally shot after a disputed election

MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Gunmen pursued the lawyer of Mozambique’s leading opposition politician and a senior opposition official in the capital and fatally shot them in their car, their party said Saturday.

This is what the country is waiting for the results of a tense election This has led to further allegations of election manipulation and suppression of dissent against the long-standing ruling party.

Elvino Dias, a lawyer and adviser to opposition presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, was killed late Friday evening on a main road in the city of Maputo by gunmen in two vehicles who riddled his car with bullets, the opposition PODEMOS party said.

Paulo Guambe, a senior PODEMOS member and spokesman, was also in the car with Dias and died in the shooting, the party said in a statement.

The murders are “further clear evidence of the lack of justice that we all face,” PODEMOS said.

PODEMOS is a relatively new opposition party that has challenged this 49-year rule of the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) party in the election on October 9th. Although Mondlane ran for president as an independent, he was supported by PODEMOS. Mondlane, PODEMOS and other opposition parties have accused Frelimo of electoral fraud and election fraud.

According to preliminary results, Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo is clearly in the lead in the presidential race. The final election results are expected to be announced next week. Chapo is is expected to be announced as the winner Successor to President Filipe Nyusi, who served a maximum of two terms.

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