SADC Applauds Court Decision on Mozambique's Electoral Outcome
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Harare, Dec 26 (NationPress) The President of Zimbabwe and current Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Emmerson Mnangagwa, has expressed his approval of a recent court ruling that affirmed Daniel Chapo as the winner of the general elections held on October 9 in Mozambique.
In a statement delivered on Wednesday, Mnangagwa stated, "The ruling from the highest electoral court in that nation, which confirmed the Frelimo party's victory, finalizes and exhausts all legal avenues for determining the election outcomes, in accordance with the national laws of Mozambique and aligning with SADC's Election Guidelines and expectations."
He emphasized that SADC anticipates all electoral stakeholders to respect the decision made by the Constitutional Council of Mozambique, highlighting that this ruling should pave a constitutional path forward for the nation and promote enhanced peace, normalcy, and stability within the southern African region, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
"SADC is prepared to offer support to the new government and the citizens of Mozambique in strengthening their electoral democracy based on this ruling, which must be regarded as inviolable by all," Mnangagwa asserted.
Additionally, Mnangagwa called upon the international community to honor the democratic choice of the Mozambican people and urged for constructive backing towards maintaining peace, law, and order from all parties involved.
On Monday, Mozambique's Constitutional Council, the governing body for constitutional and electoral matters, declared Daniel Chapo as the victor of the October 9 elections.
Chapo will succeed the current president Filipe Nyusi and will become the fifth president of the Republic of Mozambique.
As the candidate for the ruling Frelimo party, Chapo secured 65.17 percent of the votes, a decrease from the 70.67 percent reported by the National Electoral Commission (CNE) on October 24, according to information provided by the President of the CC, Lucia Ribeiro, in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique.
Venancio Mondlane, backed by the extra-parliamentary party Optimist Party for the Development of Mozambique or Podemos, received 24.19 percent of the votes, surpassing the 20.32 percent announced by the CNE.
SADC is a regional economic organization consisting of 16 member states, including Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
