Chapo favourite among candidates in Mozambique’s presidential poll

Johannesburg — Mozambique will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on October 9, marking the end of President Filipe Nyusi’s two-term tenure. The vote will take place as the government continues to fight Islamic State-linked militants in the gas-rich province of Cabo Delgado, where a major attack in 2021 forced TotalEnergies to halt its $20bn liquefied natural gas project.

Four candidates are vying to succeed Nyusi.

Daniel Chapo

Daniel Chapo, 47, is the candidate from Mozambique’s ruling Frelimo party that has been governing the country since its independence in 1975. He is widely expected to win due to the party’s dominance, despite his relatively low profile in national politics.

Chapo, who has previously worked as a TV and radio presenter and taught constitutional law at university, entered politics as a district administrator in 2009, and most recently served as governor of the southern province of Inhambane.

Frelimo’s selection of Chapo as its candidate is viewed as an attempt to put a fresh face on the long-ruling party as it tries to appeal to younger voters seeking change.

Ossufo Momade

Ossufo Momade, 63, is the leader of Mozambique’s main opposition party and former rebel movement, Renamo. He also ran for president in the most recent election in 2019 and came in second with about 22% of the vote, though his party claimed fraud and challenged the results in court. Momade was a general for Renamo during a 16-year civil war with Frelimo that ended in 1992. Clashes continued after the war until Momade and Nyusi signed a peace agreement on behalf of their parties in 2019.

Venancio Mondlane

Independent candidate Venancio Mondlane is seen as a rising star in Mozambican politics who is popular among the youth. Mondlane was a member of Renamo until he quit this year to run for president with the support of another party, the Democratic Alliance Coalition (CAD). However, Mozambique’s Constitutional Council in August withdrew the CAD’s election registration, leaving Mondlane to run as an independent.

Political analysts say that Mondlane represents the biggest potential threat to Frelimo’s political dominance, but that lack of party support could weaken his electoral prospects.

Last year, the 50-year-old politician contested as Renamo’s mayoral candidate for the capital Maputo and claimed victory, but Frelimo’s candidate was declared the official winner amid allegations of vote-rigging, which Frelimo denied.

Lutero Simango

Lutero Simango is the leader of the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM), the country’s third-biggest party, which was founded by his brother Daviz Simango in 2009.

MDM governs some important opposition-run cities but has never won more than 10% of the vote nationally. Daviz Simango ran for president three times before he died in 2021.

Lutero Simango, 64, is a long-serving parliamentarian. He says MDM is development focused and notable because it has never been militarised, unlike Frelimo and Renamo.

Reuters