Africa-Press – Mozambique. At least 2,500 people are expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Mozambique’s new president, and the presence of invited heads of state has yet to be confirmed, an official source said.
“The invitations to international organizations went out today and we hope to have confirmations on Monday. […] We sent invitations to the entire Southern African Development Community (SADC), to the African Union and to some European heads of state,” including Portugal, declared minister of Culture and Tourism Eldevina Materula, speaking in her capacity as vice-president of the Inter-ministerial Commission for Major Events, at Maputo’s Independence Square, where the ceremony will take place.
On January 2, the Constitutional Council (CC) of Mozambique officially set January 15 as the date for the inauguration of the new President of the Republic, who succeeds Filipe Nyusi, according to a deliberation distributed today by that body.
The CC, the final instance of appeal in electoral disputes, proclaimed Daniel Chapo, candidate supported by the Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo, in power), as the winner of the election for President of the Republic, with 65.17% of the votes, succeeding Filipe Nyusi in office, as well as the victory of Frelimo, which maintained its parliamentary majority, in the general elections of October 9.
His election is, however, contested in the streets and the announcement of the CC has increased the chaos that the country has been experiencing since October, with pro-Venâncio Mondlane demonstrators – a candidate who, according to the Constitutional Council, obtained only 24% of the votes but who claims victory – in protests demanding the “reestablishment of the electoral truth, with barricades, looting and clashes with the police, who have been firing shots in an attempt to demobilize the event.
According to the vice-president of the Interministerial Commission for Major Events, the Police of the Republic of Mozambique has assured that the inauguration will take place safely.
“Security issues have been duly addressed. The Ministry of the Interior assured this,” Materula stressed.
Clashes between the police and protesters have already caused almost 300 deaths and more than 500 people have been shot, according to civil society organizations that are following the process.
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In addition to Venâncio Mondlane, supported by the Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), on the way to Ponta Vermelha (the official residence of the President of the Republic), Chapo faced Ossufo Momade (who obtained 6.62%), leader and supported by the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), the main opposition force, and Lutero Simango (who obtained 4.02%), supported and president of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique, in the elections on October 9.
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