MAPUTO, Oct 9 (Askume) – Mozambique will hold a tense general election on Wednesday that the ruling Frelimo party, which has governed the southern African country since 1975, is likely to win.
Four candidates are running to replace President Filippo Nyusi , who is stepping down after serving two terms. The most likely candidate is Daniel Chapo, 47, a lawyer in business who is seen as a safe choice and the new face of the long-ruling party.
He faces competition from charismatic independent candidate Venancio Mondlane, who draws large crowds, as well as former rebel commander Ossufo Momade and Lautero Simango, a younger opposition leader.
Maputo’s palm-lined beaches are covered with dozens of posters bearing El Chapo’s face, and red FRELIMO flags flutter along high-rise streets lined with Portuguese colonial buildings. No opposition posters were visible.
Poverty is a major concern for Mozambique’s 35 million people , about half of whom are voters. An Islamist insurgency in the north has forced thousands to flee their homes and halted billions of dollars worth of natural gas projects.
“The next president has to create jobs. We are tired of hearing promises,” said Amandio Sergio, 32, a small business owner in the seaside capital.
Frelimo first allowed elections in 1994 and has since been accused of rigging them, which it denies. Rebel opposition party Renamo usually comes second.
Analyst Dalesio Alfazema said Mondlane could challenge both parties this year, but he lacks the machinery of the incumbent parties and may struggle to win votes in rural areas.
“This election is different because we have new actors … (but) Frelimo has a higher chance of winning,” Al Fazema said.
He said El Chapo had experience working in local government but was not affected by the Frelimo corruption scandal.
Counting will begin at 6 pm (1600 GMT) after voting ends, although official results may not be released for two weeks.
The controversial result is likely to reignite protests that began after Frelimo won municipal elections last year but were suppressed with force.
However, indifference might discourage them.
“I don’t think it’s important,” Moussa Issoufou, a 26-year-old fisherman, said of the investigation.
“Nothing has changed.”
