Pouring fuel on the flames

Good afternoon. As this newsletter was being written, the National Elections Commission (CNE) was expected to confirm that ruling party Frelimo had been handed a crushing victory in the parliamentary elections, as well as its candidate Daniel Chapo being declared the winner of the presidential election (see our article below).

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The latest from Zitamar News:

Three killed in insurgent attack in Awasse

The attack is thought to be the first of its kind by insurgents in Cabo Delgado province since August

Zitamar NewsZitamar News

Frelimo to be given best-ever result in parliamentary elections

The National Elections Commission is expected to confirm that the ruling party has won an unprecedented number of seats in parliament, amid protests over election fraud and the killing of opposition figures

Zitamar NewsRene Lavanchy

The official election results come as Mozambique’s major cities are the scenes of demonstrations against electoral fraud and against the killing of opposition figures. Despite the tensions, they suggest that the more aggressive voices in Frelimo, who want no compromise with the opposition, have won the upper hand. Because it is quite clear that these results do not correspond to the public mood, in which Frelimo is highly unpopular. For Frelimo to have won a majority in parliament fairly seems hard enough, but this kind of landslide is highly implausible.