Mozambique begins its election campaign, with candidates vying for the title of best futurist

Mozambique is scheduled to conduct elections on October 9. However, the campaigns for the job of replacing President Filipe Nyusi, which commenced this week, are evolving into a competition over whose words offer a more promising future.

Only four candidates have emerged to compete for the presidency, despite the fact that at least 37 political parties and associative movements are vying for seats.

More than 17 million voters are enrolled to vote in the general election on October 9, with over 300,000 individuals registered abroad.

Daniel Chapo is a candidate for the Frelimo party, which is currently in power and is primarily supported by the government.

The primary opposition candidate for Renamo is Ossufo Momade, while Lutero Simango represents the MDM. Venâncio Mondlane is standing as an independent.

The country has conducted elections punctually for the past two decades, which is a significant departure from its turbulent history. It has been operating with its head held high due to the civil conflict and, more recently, an insurgency in the north.

Consequently, voters are paying close attention to the speeches, promises, and manifestos of the candidates in a nation that has also experienced recent climate-related disasters.

One thing is certain: Mozambicans will elect a president who will assume control of a nation that has been beset by terrorism since 2017.

The group, which operates under the name Al Shabaab but has no affiliation with its Somali counterpart, has murdered approximately 4,000 individuals. According to official estimates, an additional 946,000 individuals have been relocated.

There is some positive news. The electoral legislation that was revised by Parliament last week was signed into law by the outgoing President, Nyusi, who informed the country that it was the first time in three decades that Mozambicans would witness an election without an armed party.

He clarified that the country wished for the election campaign to inspire all voters to vote in good conscience for the candidate and party of their choosing, referring to it as “the fruit of the peace and reconciliation” that they had established as brothers.

The new election law mandates that polling station personnel who falsify election results will be subject to a maximum penalty of two years in prison. The legislation also stipulates that the district courts will be deprived of the authority to order vote recounts. The National Electoral Commission (CNE) and the Constitutional Council now possess this authority exclusively.

Additionally, the presence of journalists and observers at all phases of the vote count is permitted without any restrictions, which was not previously the case.

Daniel Francisco Chapo, 47, has emphasized that his party intends to maintain its control over the nation and has committed to combating corruption by “digitalizing state services” in the event that he is elected president on October 9.

“It is imperative that we inculcate honesty in society.” This will guarantee that there are no corrupt individuals. Mr. Chapo stated in an interview with STV last week that society requires ethical and moral values.

Corruption scandals have plagued the nation in recent years. It was ranked 145th out of 180 countries surveyed in Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index. It was ranked 146 in 2019, 149 in 2020, 147 in 2021, and 142 in 2022.

Frelimo, or the Mozambique Liberation Front in English, has been the government of the country since it obtained independence from Portugal in 1975.

Mr. Chapo has visited Angola, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Zimbabwe thus far, which is a clear indication that he is in search of support and allies. It is possible that he is already establishing connections in anticipation of his victory.

Nevertheless, the Africa Centre for Strategic Studies declared in January that the 2024 presidential and legislative elections would be characterized by the Frelimo’s increasing sense of entitlement and impunity.

Mr. Chapo and Venâncio Mondlane are the most prominent candidates in Mozambique, according to analysts, and a ferocious battle is anticipated between the two. These two are also the youngest presidential candidates.

Mr. Chapo has never held a position of authority in the government. He has rendered service in the provinces.

He began his professional career as a journalist at Rádio e Televisão Miramar in Beira, where he was born in Sofala Province. He has since held government positions at the district and provincial levels.

During the campaign’s inauguration, Renamo’s General Secretary Celestina Bomba stated that Mozambicans have been demanding roads, reliable transportation, clean drinking water, national health systems, and high-quality education for the past 50 years. She also pledged to combat corruption and enhance social conditions.

Renamo, or the Mozambican National Resistance, explains that the absence of its leader, Ossufo Momade, from the campaign is a component of a strategy to renew its purpose.

Mr. Momade, 63, has been the leader of Renamo since January 2019, following the demise of its founder, Afonso Dhlakama. He has rejected the results of the October 2019 presidential election and has called for the conduct of new polls under the supervision of reputable organizations. His requests were ignored.

The European Union (EU) has announced that it will dispatch its most extensive mission to Mozambique to monitor the electoral process, regardless of whether it is a coincidence.

Antonino Maggiore, the EU Ambassador to the country, has announced that a delegation of 130 observers will be dispatched this week.

Lutero Simango, the candidate of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), has pledged to improve the health and education of Mozambicans.

According to USAID, Mozambique is one of the world’s poorest countries, despite its natural riches. The country’s life expectancy is 61 years, which is attributed to HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

The current government, which imports all drugs, will be criticized by Mr. Simango, 64, who swore to produce basic medicines in Mozambique.

In 2019, MDM achieved a third-place finish with just over four percent of the vote.

Venâncio Mondlane, a television and radio commentator, initiated his election campaign in Matola, Maputo Province, asserting that he would eradicate the current surge of terrorism and kidnappings if elected.

Kidnappings and terrorism are both evils that are the consequence of the poor governance of the governing Frelimo party, according to Mr. Mondlane, 50.