Mozambique - October 2023

Elections for the 65 municipal governments across Mozambique took place on 11 October. According to the official results from the National Election Commission (Comissão Nacional de Eleições, CNE) the ruling FRELIMO party won control of 64 of the 65 municipal governments. The main opposition party Mozambican National Resistance (Resistência Nacional Moçambicana, RENAMO) did not win the majority of the votes in any municipality, losing control of 8 municipalities they previously held. RENAMO has alleged massive fraud and filed a number of appeals with district courts and most of those cases now rest in the hands of the Constitutional Council, which is the body in charge of deciding electoral litigation in last instance as well as validating the final results. Renamo also called on its supporters to join demonstrations against the electoral results in some municipalities, especially in the capital city, Maputo, where Renamo alleges to have won. Police have responded to some demonstrations with force, using tear gas, firing automatic weapons into the air, and arresting dozens of people. At least two people are reported to have been killed. Civil society groups have suggested that there is evidence that votes were changed to benefit FRELIMO in several municipalities. On 28 November the Constitutional Council certified the electoral results in almost all municipalities, but mandated new electoral processes in four municipalities. 

Sources: Nascer do SOL, Centro de Integridade Pública, Voice of America, Africa Confidential, Human Rights Watch, Institute for Security Studies, Publico

Note: This report was updated on 12 December 2023 to take note of the ruling of the Constitutional Council.