Mozambique’s ruling party candidate poised for presidential victory 

Maputo — 

Daniel Chapo, the statesmanlike campaigner of Mozambique’s ruling party, is comfortably starring the ballot number successful 9 of the country's provinces and appears acceptable to go the country’s adjacent president. His closest challenger was moving a distant 2nd Wednesday arsenic ballot counting from past week’s predetermination continued.

Preliminary results from Wednesday’s predetermination announced truthful acold amusement Chapo starring with implicit 50% of the ballot successful 9 of Mozambique’s 11 provinces.

In the capital, Maputo, Chapo is up with implicit 53 percent, followed by autarkic campaigner Venancio Mondlane astatine conscionable nether 34 percent.

Chapo has led astatine each polling presumption counted, according to the chairperson of the Maputo Provincial Election Commission, Lucilia Sitoe.

She said, “Daniel Franscisco Chapo, 656,056, which corresponds to 68.02. Venancio Antion Bila Mondlane, 260,792, which corresponds to 27.04%.”

The 2 different statesmanlike candidates, Ossufo Momade of the absorption Renamo party, polled 9.6% of the ballot successful Maputo, followed by Lutero Simango of Mozambique Democratic Movement, MDM with 2.86%.

A akin script is besides occurring successful the cardinal state of Zambezia, traditionally an absorption stronghold. There, Chapo is starring with 73%, with Mondlane a distant 2nd with 14.7%.

In Sofala province, different longtime absorption stronghold, Chapo held 65% of the vote.

Turnout successful Wednesday’s predetermination was comparatively low, little than 50%. According to information shared by electoral bodies, adjacent to 9 cardinal of Mozambique’s 17 cardinal registered voters did not vote.

In the bluish state of Nampula, the largest constituency successful the country, much than 2 cardinal voters stayed location and tens of thousands formed blank ballots – a communal signifier of protestation successful Mozambique, showing dissatisfaction with each the candidates.

The numbers were akin successful Zambezia, the country’s second-largest constituency.

In Cabo Delgado province, plagued by an insurgency by Islamist militants for respective years, 925,000 radical did not vote, 35,000 formed blank ballots and different 18,000 votes were spoiled.

The president of Mozambique’s nationalist elections committee vowed that each ballot formed volition beryllium counted.

He said, “Every ballot volition beryllium counted definitely, we are acceptable for that. The counting strategy is participatory due to the fact that each the governmental parties are represented astatine polling stations truthful each ballot volition number and we conscionable anticipation for the best.”

Final results are expected successful astir 2 weeks. Independent governmental expert Dercio Alfazema said the adjacent president faces precocious expectations from the public.

“Our expectations are fig one, is to beryllium good governed, truthful we person a situation to get a amended result, the radical privation the extremity of corruption, we are looking for much security, we are looking for much wellness work and the prime of education, the hold of the services specified arsenic infrastructure. We besides person the occupation of coercion successful the north, the kidnappings; the young radical are looking for jobs and immoderate opportunities,” said Alfazema.

The president-elect volition beryllium sworn into bureau successful January, erstwhile existent President Filipe Nyusi, who is barred by the constitution from moving again, steps down astatine the extremity of his 2nd five-year term.

Mariama Diallo, VOA's Nairobi bureau chief, contributed to this story.