Mozambique’s controversial election result upheld: What to know

Country’s top electoral court confirms ruling Frelimo party’s win, raising fears as opposition promises more protests.

The top electoral court in Mozambique has largely upheld the results of the country’s disputed October elections, re-affirming the governing Frelimo party’s decades-long hold on power, and leading to fears of more violence in a country already rocked by weeks of deadly protests.

In a ruling on Monday, judges of the Constitutional Council named Daniel Chapo as the next president, confirming that the Frelimo candidate won 65 percent of the vote, as opposed to a previously announced 70 percent. It also awarded main challenger Venancio Mondlane four more points in the polls, giving him a total 24 percent share.

That ruling did little to appease supporters of the firebrand opposition presidential candidate who claims he won the elections. Mondlane had threatened “chaos” before the court’s announcement, and urged his supporters to “shut down” the country this week if Frelimo’s win was confirmed.

The country of 34 million people has been on edge since the October 9 general elections. Mondlane’s supporters, mostly hundreds of thousands of young people, have since taken to the streets, and have met gunfire from security forces.

At least 110 people had died across the country by Monday, according to rights group Amnesty International. Other monitoring groups have put the death toll at up to 130.