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Mozambique’s opposition leader, Venâncio Mondlane, has announced that he will run for president on January 15 after rejecting his failure in the presidential election.
His announcement came as his supporters staged violent protests across the country demanding an end to the 49-year rule of the Frelimo party.
The capital, Maputo, was a ghost town on Christmas Day, with almost all businesses closed and people staying at home to avoid the violence that has gripped the city since Frelimo came to power at independence in 1975.
Frelimo offices, police stations, banks and factories have been looted, vandalized and set on fire across the country.
The latest unrest began on Monday after Mozambique’s top court upheld the victory of Frelimo leader Daniel Chapo in the October election.
Mondlane contested the results saying the election was rigged.
In a Facebook post to his supporters on Tuesday, Mondlane said he rejected the Constitutional Court’s ruling, adding that he would assume the presidency on January 15 – the day Chapo is due to be sworn in.
President Filipe Nyusi is expected to step down after two years.
It is unclear how Mondlane intends to take his position, as he is currently in exile in an unknown land.
He often encourages his followers through Facebook Live speeches, but he encouraged them to live in peace.
“We have people. We do not encourage any kind of violence,” Mondlane said in a recent statement.
Chapo has not yet responded to what he said.
The October election was the first time that both parties contested for the presidency when the electoral commission announced that Chapo won with 71% of the votes compared to Mondlane’s 20%.
The Supreme Court revised the results, giving the Frelimo candidate 65% and Mondlane 24%.
Human rights organizations say more than 100 people have been killed in the violence since the election.
They accuse the security forces of being responsible for many of the deaths, but police chief Bernadino Rafael told the BBC that his officers have been defending themselves against attacks.
Mondlane fled Mozambique after accusing the police of threats, and two of his aides were killed in October.
The 50-year-old pastor contested the election as an independent after the main opposition Renamo party quit.
Its support is strongest among young people, many of whom are unemployed and looking for a change.
Frelimo elected the 47-year-old Chapo as the youngest candidate for the presidency.
He has previously rejected suggestions that he and Frelimo rigged the election, saying: “We are a party prepared to win.”
