“Mozambicans played an important role in the success of the electoral process in Mozambique, which consisted of voter registration, voter education, registration of parties and presidential candidates, electoral campaigning and the actual act of voting on 9 October 2024,” he said in a statement.

According to Nyusi, “Mozambicans exercised their democratic right to elect and be elected and to express themselves patriotically in full freedom, in an environment full of enthusiasm, tranquility, maturity, discipline, order and civility.”

He said that there was cooperation between international observers and the Mozambican authorities.

“The coordination between the representatives of the international community, in particular with the observers in the Mozambican electoral process, is a ‘remarkable example’ of friendship and cooperation”, he said.

But the elections were marred by a huge abstention rate. The figures currently available suggest that overall turnout was only 43 per cent of registered voters.

In the most populous provinces, turnout was even worse (33 per cent in Zambezia and only 28 per cent in Nampula). In Maputo city and province, the turnout climbed to 63 per cent.

These turnout figures are calculated on the basis of the official results announced by the 11 provincial elections commissions. They can still be changed by the National Elections Commission (CNE) and eventually by the Constitutional Council, the country’s highest body in matters of constitutional and electoral law.

Although the President claims that the elections were “successful”, the opposition parties are severely contesting the results so far announced by the electoral bodies.

Albino Forquilha, president of Podemos (Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique), and Lutero Simango, the leader and presidential candidate of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), claim that the elections were characterized by irregularities, manipulation and violations of the law and now the electoral bodies are announcing false results.