Daniel Chapo of Mozambique’s long-ruling Frelimo party was sworn in as president on Wednesday in a sparsely attended ceremony, following months of speculation over his disputed election victory. protest.
Local civil society monitoring groups say more than 300 people have been killed in clashes with security forces since the Oct. 9 vote, which the opposition says Frelimo won through vote manipulation and Western observers say the vote was not free and fair. .
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Frelimo denies accusations of electoral fraud.
It has ruled Mozambique since the end of a war against Portuguese colonial rule in 1975 and continued a 15-year civil war that killed 1 million people before a truce in 1992.
El Chapo told about 1,500 supporters on 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) in a sparsely attended ceremony after months of preparations for his The disputed election victory was protested. (Reuters)
He also promised to reduce the size of government by reducing the number of ministries, tackle youth unemployment and prioritize health and education.
Reuters witnesses said the city center was largely deserted, with a heavy police and military presence.
Neighboring South African President Ramaphosa was one of the few heads of state to attend El Chapo’s inauguration.
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Opposition leader Venancio Mondlane, who ended his self-imposed exile last week and urged his supporters to continue demonstrating, came second in the presidential election behind Chapo, official results showed. .
The post-election protests are the largest in Mozambique’s history against the FRELIMO and have affected foreign companies operating in the resource-rich southern African country of 35 million people. They have also disrupted cross-border trade, forcing some to flee to neighboring countries.
