Daniel Chapo from Mozambique’s enduring Frelimo party officially became president on Wednesday during a poorly attended event following widespread protests over his controversial election win.
A local civil society watchdog reported over 300 fatalities in clashes with security forces following the October 9th election, which the opposition alleges Frelimo secured through electoral fraud. Western observers also highlighted that the election was not conducted in a free and fair manner.
Frelimo denies accusations of electoral fraud.
Frelimo has been in power in Mozambique since the country gained independence from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975. The party maintained its grip through a 15-year civil war, resulting in the loss of a million lives before a ceasefire was reached in 1992.
Chapo told a group of about 1,500 supporters from a stage in the capital Maputo that social and political stability would be his government’s top priority.
Daniel Chapo of Mozambique’s long-ruling Frelimo party was sworn in as president on Wednesday (January 15) at a sparsely attended ceremony after months of protests against his disputed election victory. (Reuters)
He also promised to shrink the size of the government by reducing the number of ministries, tackle youth unemployment and prioritise health and education.
The city centre was largely deserted with a heavy police and army presence, Reuters witnesses said.
Cyril Ramaphosa, president of neighbouring South Africa, was one of the few heads of state attending Chapo’s inauguration.
Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who official results say came second to Chapo in the presidential election, returned from self-imposed exile last week and has urged his supporters to continue demonstrating.
The post-election protests amount to the largest against Frelimo in Mozambique’s history and have affected foreign businesses operating in the resource-rich southern African country of 35 million people. They have also disrupted cross-border trade and forced some to flee to neighbouring countries.
