Mozambicans nationwide started voting for the 2024 general elections on Wednesday, choosing their favorite president and 250 members of parliament as well as 794 members for provincial assemblies.
Around 17 million people were registered to vote, including 333,839 voters registered in the diaspora participating from seven African and two European countries as part of Mozambique's global electoral process.
The 2024 general elections marked the seventh presidential election, with the ruling party Frelimo's candidate, Daniel Chapo, 47, aiming to succeed incumbent President Filipe Nyusi, who is completing his maximum of two terms.
Chapo faces competition from three other candidates: Lutero Simango of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique, Ossufo Momade of the main opposition party Renamo, and independent candidate Venancio Mondlane backed by Optimistic Party for the Development of Mozambique.
"I hope they can capitalize on the rich resources in our country to reduce the poor population. We have a lot of resources, but we need to get out of poverty," said a voter in the country's capital of Maputo.
In addition to the presidential race, voters will elect 250 members of parliament and 794 members for provincial assemblies, with 35 political parties competing for national parliamentary seats and 14 parties and civic groups vying for provincial positions.
According to observers from national and international organizations, the one-day electoral process was proceeding smoothly. Reports indicated that 92.8 percent of the 3,297 voting stations visited by 800 electoral observers had the presence of party delegates.
Vote counting is expected to begin immediately after polls close. The National Election Commission (CNE) has up to 15 days to deliver the full results to the Constitutional Council for validation and formal declaration.
According to the CNE, the electoral process was being monitored by 11,516 national observers and 412 international observers, including delegations from the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, the European Union, and the Southern African Development Community.
Mozambicans start voting for 2024 general elections
