On Wednesday, October 9, about 17 million Mozambicans headed to the polls in a historic election that could bring the country its first president born after Mozambique’s independence from Portugal in 1975.
In addition to voting for a new president, voters also chose 250 members of parliament, provincial governors, and officials in Mozambique’s 11 provinces. The elections were held simultaneously for both parliamentary and provincial seats in the country of around 32 million people.
Vote counting began immediately after the polls closed, with partial results to be announced as they are collated. Mozambique’s National Elections Commission (CNE) will declare official results within 15 days.
President Filipe Nyusi of the ruling Frelimo party is stepping down after completing two terms in office. He could be the last of Frelimo’s pro-independence leaders to serve as president.
Frelimo’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, 47, is favored to win the election. Chapo, born after independence, is seen as a strong contender due to his party’s incumbency. He has promised to restore peace to the Cabo Delgado province, where joint military operations are ongoing.
Other presidential candidates include Renamo’s Ossufo Momade, 63, who has led the opposition since 2019; Venâncio Mondlane, 50, who is running independently; and Lutero Simango, 64, from the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), who is focusing on job creation through in-country resource processing.
This election marks a pivotal moment in Mozambique’s political landscape, with younger leaders vying for the presidency.
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