The campaign for Mozambique’s general elections concluded at midnight on Sunday, with 5.3 million voters expected to head to the polls on Wednesday, October 9, to elect a new President and provincial assembly members.
President Filipe Nyusi of the ruling party Frelimo is stepping down after serving two terms, leaving four candidates competing for the presidency.
Frelimo’s candidate, Daniel Chapo, is the frontrunner, with his main opponent being Ossuo Momade of the opposition party Renamo. Also running are Lutero Simango from the MDC and independent candidate Venâncio Mondlane, though they are considered less likely to secure widespread support. The campaign has been largely dominated by Frelimo, which has held power for the past 50 years.
Despite the calm nature of the campaign, the “Mais Integridade” (More Integrity) civil society coalition raised concerns about the ruling party’s use of public resources for campaign purposes. However, João Gomes Cravinho, head of the Electoral Observation Mission of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (MOE-CPLP), praised the peaceful and “exemplary” atmosphere of the campaign, noting its improvement over previous elections.
Cravinho, along with other electoral observers from Southern African nations and the African Union, held meetings in Maputo and expressed a general consensus that the electoral process has proceeded smoothly so far.