Mozambique’s Renamo opposition on Saturday accused the government of falsifying local election results in several areas, warning that such a move could prompt it to abandon peace talks. The country went to the polls on October 10 in a key test for the ongoing peace talks between the ruling Frelimo party and Renamo – negotiations which began in 2016 to end three years of violence between government troops and Renamo rebels. “We do not want war but we also do not accept any attempt to change the popular will,” Renamo’s acting leader Ossufo Momade told reporters. Although the official results have not yet been published, Renamo says the party had been cheated of victory in one major city and three other towns, accusing election officials of tampering with the results.
“If the popular vote is not respected, Renamo will break off the negotiations and the consequences will be entirely the responsibility of (President Filipe Nyusi) and the Frelimo Party,” he said.
Partial results from a third of Mozambique’s 53 municipalities, released on Thursday, gave Frelimo a clear lead, although Renamo claims to have won in dozens of areas, including in Matulo, the country’s most heavily-populated city.
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