Mozambique’s Constitutional Council (CC) on Monday affirmed that the ruling party, Frelimo and its candidate Filipe Nyusi won with overwhelming majority in October’s general elections.
The council in a statement said the irregularities found during the electoral process “did not substantially affect the results of the general and provincial elections on October 15.”
It said Frelimo validly won 70 percent of the vote and Nyusi was re-elected with 73 percent of the vote, thereby ending the legal battle by the opposition to unseat them.
The election results were previously rejected by opposition parties Renamo and the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), which alleged widespread fraud and irregularities.
Having previously called for the election to be annulled, the opposition submitted an official complaint to the National Electoral Commission (CNE) to be judged by the constitutional council.
“The results of the elections are null and void. With this complaint we take on also all the misconduct that took place during the elections, and its evidence is well documented,” Renamo’s national spokesman, Venancio Mondlane told journalists outside the National Election Commission (CNE) headquarters in Maputo after submitting the complaint.
Renamo, the rebel group turned opposition party had accused the government of “massive electoral fraud” and breaching the country’s peace deal by using violence and intimidation on voting day.