It is impossible to know the true results of last year's municipal elections because the National Elections Commission (CNE) and Constitutional Council (CC) can change results in secret and without explanation. In Mozambique's democracy, these two bodies, not the voters, decide who wins.

There were elections in 65 municipalities on 11 October 2023, but which results are to be believed? The CNE said Frelimo won 64, MDM won 1 (Beira) and Renamo won 0. The CC said Renamo won 4 (Vilankulo, Quelimane, Alto Molocue, and Chiure). Parallel counts showed Renamo won 7 including major cities (Nampula, Maputo, Matola, Quelimane, Vilankulo, Marromeu, and Chiure).

CIP has compiled all the final official results as announced by the CC, showing all the changes to the results we can find, and compare to parallel counts. The full report is available on https://bit.ly/Moz-El-2023-results

The CC also ordered a completely new election in Marromeu and new elections in some polling stations in Gurué, Milange, and Nacala Porto; these were held on 10 December and the CC ruled that Frelimo won in all 4.

The parallel counts showed one unexplained result. The parallel count showed Frelimo won in Alto Molocue, where the CC changed the results to give victory to Renamo, without any explanation or evidence.

Ballots are counted in each polling station. The district or city election commission (CDE) tabulates polling station results and the National Elections Commission (CNE) combines the CDE results. It changed the results of 4 municipalities, but never publicly said it did so. The CNE submits results to the Constitutional Council (CC) which approves or changes them. The CC changed 9 and ordered partial reruns in 3 (Nacala-Porto, Milange, and Gurue) and a completely new election in Marromeu.

Nearly all changes were giving back to Renamo votes which had been stolen from it. In Maputo city, the CC took 29,073 votes from Frelimo and gave them to Renamo, but that was not enough to give Renamo victory. However, the parallel count showed that another 73,483 votes for Frelimo were fake - more than one-third of Frelimo's total. The fraud appears to have been carried out by electoral officials, and a district court confirmed that some results sheets submitted by an urban district election commission were fake.

There were 10 parties, 3 coalitions, and 8 citizen lists participating, but only the three main parties - Frelimo, Renamo, and MDM - plus New Democracy, won municipal assembly seats.