Mozambicans casts ballots in election that may prolong ruling party dominance

Maputo — 

Mozambicans ballot Wednesday betwixt the enactment that has dominated their country’s governmental scenery for astir 50 years oregon thing different. Whoever wins volition inherit large challenges, including an insurgency successful the lipid and gas-rich country of Cabo Delgado.

Voters braved greeting rainfall successful Maputo to enactment up arsenic aboriginal arsenic 7:00 americium to formed their ballots.

They person 4 candidates to take from; Daniel Chapo, the ruling Frelimo enactment leader; Ossufo Momade, the campaigner of 1 main absorption enactment that came successful 2nd successful the past statesmanlike election; Lutero Simango, the person of the Mozambique Democratic Movement and Venancio Mondlane, an autarkic who seems fashionable among youth.

Aslak Ore, a researcher connected Mozambique astatine the Christian Michelsen Institute successful Norway, said that portion supporters of Mondlane person shown excitement, helium inactive faces stiff challenges.

“There’s been a batch of enthusiasm astir his candidature, nevertheless helium doesn’t person the electoral enactment of either Renamo oregon Frelimo. The question is if he’s going to beryllium capable to person that evident enthusiasm among the population… into the votes,” helium said.

At a polling spot astatine the Josina Machel secondary schoolhouse successful Maputo, 22-year-old Augusto Paz said helium waited astir an hour, but helium had to marque definite to vote.

“As a young Mozambican man, I consciousness similar this is important due to the fact that it mightiness beryllium the prime that would alteration things successful our country. I americium talking astir healthcare, education, and improvement successful general,” helium said.

After casting his ballot, Sergio Pantie, a subordinate of parliament and Frelimo supporter, told america helium is assured his enactment volition win.

“People proceed to emotion and highly see Frelimo arsenic an enactment to proceed moving this country... the results volition prove, erstwhile again, that Frelimo is loved and esteemed by the Mozambican people,” helium said.

Two of the candidates, Momade and Simango, voted astatine the aforesaid polling spot wherever outgoing President Filipe Nyusi casts his ballot.

Former St. Lucia premier curate Dr. Kenny Anthony, who arrived successful Maputo connected October 2nd, heads the Commonwealth International Observers’ delegation. He told VOA his radical was inactive visiting different polling stations and getting reports from different parts of the country. Meanwhile...

“There seems to beryllium immoderate optimism that this is going to beryllium a amended administered predetermination than erstwhile elections. Whether that volition beryllium the case, I don’t know… we’ve conscionable visited this polling station, and each look to person gone connected precise good here,” helium said.

Whoever wins these elections volition inherit galore challenges starting with the system and indebtedness repayments, Ore said.

“It’s betwixt 12 and 14 cardinal dollars successful outer debt. Recently they person been capable to wage backmost overmuch of that debt, but they person done truthful by mode of accumulating a batch of home debt. The authorities takes up loans from the banking strategy and institutions locally, truthful they are accumulating indebtedness astatine the aforesaid clip arsenic they are paying backmost the outer debt,” said Ore.

In summation to indebtedness challenges, the authorities has been battling an insurgency successful the gas- and oil-rich Cabo Delgado province, wherever astir 4,000 radical person been killed and astir 1 cardinal displaced since 2017, hindering multibillion-dollar lipid and state projects.

Some countries, including Rwanda, person stepped successful precocious to assistance quell the insurgency -- an enactment that Adriano Nuvunga, a societal activistic and manager of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights successful Mozambique, disagrees with.

“Mozambique, large arsenic it is, monolithic arsenic it is… 33 cardinal people… but it needs to import soldiers from Rwanda to support its sovereignty… Rwanda, a tiny state of 13 cardinal radical to support america here,” said Nuvunga.

Ruling enactment campaigner Chapo said if helium wins, securing the Cabo Delgado country volition beryllium his apical precedence due to the fact that without security, determination is nary improvement helium precocious told supporters.

Nuvunga said portion Frelimo was seen arsenic a liberation question 50 years ago, times person changed.

“The radical here, they person thing to bash with what radical did 5 decades ago. It’s astir today; are you capable to enactment successful spot credible policies and enactment successful spot a credible strategy of governance that would enactment for the people,” said Nuvunga.

More than 17 cardinal radical are registered to vote.