Mozambique police fire tear gas at protesters denouncing ‘rigged’ election
The largest demonstration to date occurred on Thursday against the ruling Frelimo party, which had been declared the party’s candidate for the October 9 election, extending its 49-year rule.
Venancio Mondlane, the leader of the opposition, claims the vote was rigged and has called for a week of protests culminating on Thursday. Large crowds of mostly young men have blocked streets with burning tyres and waved homemade signs in support of him.
Police used tear gas to elude the protesters as they marched toward the city center.
In an interview with AFP news agency, Mondlane, who claims to be the actual winner of the election, said it was a “crucial moment” for the country.
According to Mondlane, who spoke from an undisclosed location, “I think there is a revolutionary atmosphere” that demonstrates that the country is about to undergo a significant historical and political transition.
The former radio host, who is 50, claimed he could only claim to be from Africa and wouldn’t reveal where he was. Following the unrest, he left Mozambique last month. He initially said he would be at Thursday’s march, but on Wednesday told AFP he wouldn’t return after all due to safety concerns.
As a result of the presence of a significant security force across the capital, the Mozambique Bar Association issued a warning on Thursday that there were “conditions for a bloodbath.”
As the police tried to stop the demonstrations with tear gas and other weapons, according to Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb, who was reporting from Maputo. “They have used live gunfire on several occasions over the past two weeks,” he said as he reported on burning roadblocks and smoke.
Although it appears that even peaceful marchers have been violently dispersed, according to Webb, “The police have stated that protests are allowed and will be allowed to continue as long as they are peaceful.”
According to Amnesty International, at least 20 people have died in protests since the election, according to the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, a local NGO.
Cristovao Chume, the army’s defense minister, warned the media on Tuesday that the officer had been killed in a protest over the weekend and that it might intervene “to protect the interests of the state.”
According to Chume, “the democratically established power is being reformed.”
The National Electoral Commission predicts that Frelimo’s Daniel Chapo, who won the presidential election with 71 percent of the vote, will step down as president at the end of his two-term presidency.
Mondlane, who has filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Council asking for a recount of the ballot, said he was “open to a government of national unity.”
In an effort to “suspress peaceful protests and public criticism of the government,” according to Human Rights Watch, the authorities have restricted internet access throughout the nation.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, also urged police to use “unnecessary or disproportionate force” to “manage protests in accordance with Mozambique’s international human rights obligations.
A special summit will be held between November 16 and November 20 in order to discuss Mozambique’s developments.
Source: Aljazeera
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