Former rebel leader and opposition candidate Afonso Dhlakama on Friday demanded fresh elections in Mozambique, accusing the ruling Frelimo party of ”criminal fraud” during two days of voting for a new president and Parliament.
Addressing a news conference, Dhlakama accused Frelimo of preventing millions from casting their ballots by misplacing or manipulating electoral rolls in the opposition Renamo’s rural strongholds in northern and central Mozambique.
He also accused electoral officials of grossly inflating results for the ruling party in some areas, and said police had chased away Renamo observers from some polling stations overnight after voting on December 1 and 2.
”Accepting the results will be killing democracy in Mozambique,” Dhlakama told reporters.
He urged President Joaquim Chissano, who is stepping down after 18 years at the helm of this Southern African nation, to remain in office until new elections can be held in six months.
He also demanded the dissolution of the National Electoral Commission with its executive arm, and their replacement with more independent structures.
International observers have called the vote largely free and fair, despite a low turnout of between 30% and 40%.
Frelimo, which has governed since independence from Portugal in 1975, rejected Dhlakama’s accusations and insisted there will be no new elections.
”Renamo’s behaviour reflects the despair of imminent defeat, and I warn that the electoral process should not be taken hostage,” said Manuel Tome, a ruling-party spokesperson.
State radio has been reporting that Chissano’s hand-picked successor, Armando Guebuza, has a commanding lead over Dhlakama.
But the National Electoral Commission has refused to confirm the preliminary count, saying results are still trickling in from provincial centres.
Electoral official Antonio Carrasco accused Renamo of trying to discredit the commission, saying the party should submit any complaints in writing with evidence to back up its claims.
Dhlakama, who waged a ruinous 16-year civil war against the then Marxist Frelimo government, has lost two previous bids for the presidency since peace was restored in 1992.
He claims the last election in 1999 was stolen from him, and has warned that he won’t accept another defeat if he considers the vote wasn’t free and fair.
Mozambique remains one of the world’s poorest countries despite more than a decade of peace and growth. — Sapa-AP