Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique’s main opposition party, Renamo, on Thursday held a march through the streets of Maputo to celebrate its victory in Wednesday’s municipal elections in the capital.
The head of the Renamo list of candidates for the municipal assembly, Venancio Mondlane, who will become mayor if Renamo’s claims of victory are confirmed, said the march was intended “to thank the citizens of Maputo for their votes and trust in Renamo”.
He added that the march will put pressure on the National Elections Commission (CNE) not to adulterate the results that show Renamo’s victory.
Cited by the independent television station STV, Mondlane said Renamo has copies of the results sheets (“editais”) from all the polling stations, which prove that it won.
“We want to say that we have rescued Maputo and we are going to lead Maputo”, he declared.
The march, attended by thousands of Renamo supporters, was entirely peaceful, and the police made no attempt to stop it.
Renamo leader Ossufo Momade told a Thursday press conference in Maputo that Renamo had won the elections “in a convincing and unequivocal manner”. But he did not say in how many of the 65 municipalities he was claiming victory.
Momade claimed that Frelimo is now “desperate” and has lost any legitimacy to govern Mozambique. He accused Frelimo of committing irregularities to manipulate the election results, particularly in the central city of Quelimane.
He also alleged that Frelimo had bribed chairpersons of some polling stations to stuff ballot boxes, falsify results, and refuse to sign the minutes at polling stations where Renamo had won.
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