Mozambique's top court confirms ruling Frelimo’s victory in presidential poll

However, Constitutional Council's 7-judge bench in its verdict reduces Daniel Chapo's earlier victory of 71% of vote to 65%

By Hassan Isilow

JOHANNESBURG (AA) – Mozambique’s Constitutional Council on Monday confirmed that Daniel Chapo of the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (Frelimo) had won the October 9 presidential election.

However, the seven-judge bench of the Constitutional Council in its verdict reduced Chapo's earlier victory of 71% of the vote to 65%.

Mozambique has seen violent protests since late October, when the electoral authority declared 47-year-old Chapo the winner of the Oct. 9 election, with 71% of the cast votes, defeating opposition candidate Venancio Mondlane of the Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), who received 20%.

Mondlane rejected the results, claiming widespread vote rigging and urging his supporters to protest.

The Constitutional Council was then tasked with acting in the case.

More than 110 people have been killed since protests erupted on Oct. 21, according to Plataforma Eleitoral Decide, a group that monitors elections in the Southern African country.

Rights groups have accused Mozambican security forces of using excessive violence in quelling the protests. Frelimo has ruled Mozambique since it gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

Kaynak:

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