In Mozambique, President Daniel Chapo invested, the post-electoral crisis continues

Daniel Chapo, elected president of Mozambique, was sworn in on the morning of Wednesday January 15 in the capital, Maputo, placed under high security. “I, Daniel Francisco Chapo, swear on my honor to respect and ensure respect for the Constitution, to faithfully fulfill the function of President of the Republic”declared this former provincial governor who never held government office. His first challenge will be to get the country out of its political slump and a post-electoral crisis which has already left 303 dead according to Plataforma Decide, a local NGO.

After three months of violence, looting and repeated strikes which have paralyzed the country since the proclamation of the results of the October 9 election, the city center of Maputo was, on Wednesday, surrounded by the police. Authorization was required to access the area around Independence Square where the inauguration ceremony of Filipe Nyusi's successor was held.

The police made numerous arrests around this perimeter. Using tear gas, she also dispersed demonstrators who had lit tires on arteries leading to the city center. On Tuesday, clashes between opponents of Frelimo, the party in power since independence in 1975, and the police left at least one dead in the town of Matola, noted the Center for Democracy and Rights humans, a local NGO.

In each of his public interventions, Venancio Mondlane, the main opponent, continues to claim his victory in the presidential election. Photos published on his Facebook account 24 hours before Daniel Chapo's inauguration still presented him as the “true president elected by the Mozambican people”. This former journalist claims to have obtained 53% of the votes.

“Instability risks continuing”

The Podemos candidate, who became the first opposition party, returned to Mozambique on Thursday January 9, after an exile of several weeks in an undisclosed location. Two of his relatives had previously been killed, including his lawyer Elvino Dias who was preparing an appeal against alleged electoral fraud. Mr. Mondlane staged his return by kneeling in the airport lobby, flower lei around his neck and Bible in hand.

“I, Venancio Mondlane, president elected by the Mozambican people…elected by the sincere will of the people, swear on my honor to serve the Mozambican homeland and its people”declared this Pentecostal preacher, aged 50, before launching an appeal to “paralyze” the country. Access to the airport had previously been blocked by the police to prevent his supporters from welcoming him. Clashes with the police then caused “at least two dead”selon l’ONG Human Rights Watch.

“Mozambique is not on the verge of civil war, but instability risks continuing”analyzes Joâo Feijo, sociologist and researcher at the Rural Environment Observatory in Mozambique. Daniel Chapo can only break the political deadlock today by reaching out to the opposition. “In the coming days, Daniel Chapo should appoint a government with ministers from the opposition parties and Mozambican civil society, considers Eric Morier-Genoud, professor of African history at Queen's University in Belfast (United Kingdom) and specialist in this southern African country. This is necessary to create an inclusive government and launch a new dynamic in the country. »

Could he in this case entrust the post of prime minister to Venancio Mondlane? « Impossible, replied Joao Feijo. The Frelimo will never accept it and the new president must obey his training. For his part, Venancio Mondlane will never agree to hold such a position since he considers himself the winner of the election. » The name of Celso Correia, former minister of agriculture elected to the Frelimo central committee in 2012, regularly comes up to occupy the post of prime minister. “That would then be bad news because he is considered a leader of the presidential party”indicates a source who prefers to remain anonymous.

In search of international recognition

Political antagonisms are deep, as was again shown on Monday by the first meeting of Parliament, deserted due to the opposition boycott. According to the results announced by the Constitutional Court, 171 seats went to Frelimo, 43 to Podemos, 28 to Renamo – the former rebellion during the civil war (1977-1992) which became an opposition party – and 8 to MDM, a another opposition party.

Invested while the crisis continues, Daniel Chapo is still seeking international recognition. Only two heads of state were present at his swearing-in: Bissau-Guinean Umaro Sissoco Embalo and South African Cyril Ramaphosa, whose neighboring country is seeing its trade heavily affected by the post-electoral situation.

Paul Kagame, Rwandan president whose soldiers are taking part in the fighting against jihadists in northern Mozambique, capital for the country's economy due to the gigantic gas projects in progress, was represented by his prime minister. As for Portugal, a former colonial power, it sent its minister of foreign affairs, believing that “under current circumstances”it was about the “appropriate representation”. On December 24, the European Union (EU) indicated that it had “found irregularities during the counting of votes and an unjustified alteration of the election results”.