Maputo — The Constitutional Council, Mozambique's highest body in matters of electoral law, announced on Thursday that the investiture of the new President of the Republic will take place, as expected, on 15 January.

The brief statement gave no further details - but, if precedent is followed, the ceremony will take place in Independence Square, in central Maputo.

Giving the definitive results of the 9 October general elections on 23 December, the Council announced that Daniel Chapo, general secretary of the ruling Frelimo Party had been elected President with about 65 per cent of the vote.

All the opposition parties have rejected this result, arguing that the elections were marred by massive fraud. The Constitutional Council itself admits that "irregularities' took place, but claims that these did not significantly alter the results.

But in the same ruling, the Council said it had adjusted the results to avoid a recount.

The man the Council regards as the runner-up, Venancio Mondlane, says that, in reality, he won the election, but he has not presented the polling stations results sheets that would prove this.

Mondlane has repeatedly announced that he will be sworn in as President on 15 January. But he is currently out of the country, in an undisclosed location, and has not revealed when or how he intends to return to Maputo.