Independent candidate in Mozambique poll threatens nationwide strike if ruling party wins
Independent presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane on
Friday threatened to call a nationwide strike and bring Mozambique to a
standstill if ruling party Frelimo claimed victory in the presidential
election.
Mondlane told Reuters that, based on figures collected by
his delegates at polling stations, he is leading after Wednesday's
election. Preliminary results are expected to be declared on Saturday, and
full, official results 15 days after the poll.
Frelimo has governed the Southern African country since 1975
and has been consistently accused of rigging elections, which it denies.
Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo is widely expected to win, succeeding President
Filipe Nyusi who is stepping down.
Analysts consider Mondlane, who is popular among the
country's discontented youth, as the biggest challenge to the ruling party in
years.
"The risks of violence are very high," Mondlane
said in an interview, adding that he did not condone violence and would fight
the outcome through the courts and through peaceful demonstrations if
authorities declare a Frelimo win.
"We will mobilize our population so that they do not
accept the results," he said. "We are going to instigate an economic
shutdown, a total shutdown of the country."
A Frelimo spokesperson said the party was waiting for
official results and that "Frelimo does not declare victory, that is done
by the official election body."
Mondlane said he did not have conclusive evidence of fraud
in the election. But civil society groups have reported some irregularities,
such as election observers being denied access to watch the preliminary
counting.
Isolated street protests broke out after Frelimo swept last
year's municipal elections, and were forcefully
suppressed.
On Friday, the capital Maputo was peaceful, with some armed
police officers deployed along main roads.
Mondlane said that, if elected, he would reform tax policy
to channel more of the revenue from multinational companies, such as
ExxonMobil, into local development. He also wants to make more financing
available to young people who start businesses.
ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies are both developing major gas
projects in the country's far north that have been halted by an Islamist
insurgency. The conflict has displaced thousands of people.
Mondlane said he would pursue negotiations with the leaders
of the insurgency and boost development in the restive Cabo Delgado province,
which he said had been historically marginalised.
"It is not possible to have peace in Cabo Delgado
excluding the insurgents," he said.
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