By Daniel Itai.
Mozambique’s main opposition party Renamo has lodged court papers calling for the October 15 election results to be annulled due to massive electoral fraud.
Renamo, the rebel group turned opposition party, lost the election to the long ruling Frelimo party, securing under 22% of the vote.
Incumbent President Filipe Nyusi of Frelimo, won a fresh five year term. After having previously called for the election to be annulled, the opposition submitted an official complaint to the National Electoral Commission to be judged by the constitutional council.
“With this complaint we take on also all the misconduct that took place during the elections, and its evidence is well documented, the results of the elections are null and void,” said Renamo’s national spokesperson, Venãncio Mondlane.
Renamo has accused the government of breaching the country’s peace deal by using violence and intimidation on voting day.
The lower courts have so far convicted 158 people over electoral misconduct, while at least 140 more are still awaiting trial.
Supreme court spokesperson Pedro Nhatitima said the majority of the queries were thrown out of court because they were not lodged within the legal deadline of 48 hours of the election results being posted.
Mozambican civil society and international observers have flagged numerous alleged attempts to stuff ballot boxes and chase away election monitors, as well as hundreds of thousands of ghost voters on the electoral roll.
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