Maputo — The International NGO, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation believes that Mozambique is one of the negative highlights of the 2024 election year in Africa as a result of the "political process that excludes the will of the people.'
In a report on Analysis of the 2024 Election Year in Africa, the organization claims that the general elections held on 9 October in Mozambique, stained by deadly protests, represent a negative highlight of the African electoral year.
"The opposition contested the result of the elections, considering it fraudulent, a claim corroborated by EU election observers. The indication of the ruling Frelimo party and its presidential candidate, Daniel Chapo, is regarded by many Mozambicans as a continuation of the ruling party's dominance of almost half a century', reads the report.
The Presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, backed by the Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique (Podemos), has been calling for mass demonstrations since 21 October in order to protest against the allegedly fraudulent results. He claims that he won the elections, and he points out that the CNE preliminary results that give victory to Frelimo and its candidate are false and based on fraudulent data.
Since the demonstrations began, about 130 people have been shot dead by Police, according to the NGO "Decide' Electoral Platform. Mondlane said that the proclamation of the definitive results on 23 December by the Constitutional Council, Mozambique's highest body in matters of electoral law, "will determine whether Mozambique moves towards peace or chaos.' "With the unrest and protests that followed the October vote, the weakening of civil society may be related to distrust in the electoral process', reads the organization's report.
The Foundation also names Guinea-Bissau as one of the four African countries where elections were due to be held in 2024, but which have been postponed.
"The other three countries are Burkina Faso, Mali and South Sudan. Guinea-Bissau, along with South Africa, has been showing warning signs over the last decade. Analyzing the two years leading up to the 2024 elections, indicators such as Political Pluralism and Civil Society Space have decreased, which points to a shrinking space for participation', reads the note.
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According to the organization, of the 17 scheduled elections in Africa, 13 were held and "the notable results include transfers of democratic power in Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius and Senegal, which signifies a change in the political landscape.'
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