Mozambicans vote in key election for a new president

Mozambicans are voting in a general election, with the ruling Frelimo party that has been in power for half a century likely to hold on to power.

President Filipe Nyusi, who is stepping down after serving the two-term limit, was among the first to vote when polls opened at 07:00 local time (05:00 GMT).

The ruling party’s presidential candidate is 47-year-old Daniel Chapo, who was a relatively unknown figure until his nomination and presents himself as an agent of change.

His rivals are independent Venâncio Mondlane, Ossufo Momade, a former rebel commander and leader of the main opposition Renamo party, and Lutero Simango from the Mozambique Democratic Movement (MDM) party.

The election is regarded as watershed moment for the southern African nation as for the first time the Frelimo candidate did not fight in the independence war.

The party has been in power since Mozambique gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

Chapo, who was born two years after independence, is also seen by many as untouched by the party’s various corruption scandals.

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Nyusi cast his vote in the capital, Maputo - where early morning voters had to brave the rain - and afterwards called for patience from the electorate.

"I would also ask that no group of citizens agitates or threatens others, that everything happens in peace and tranquillity and that we avoid announcing the results ahead of time," the AFP news agency quotes the 65-year-old outgoing president as saying.

More than 16 million people are registered to vote. A student waiting to vote in Maputo reflected the mood of many young people.

"I feel hopeful... People my age are worried about the future of our country, so I think they will vote," Augusto Ndeve Pais, 22, told the Reuters news agency.

Most analysts say the biggest challenge for any new president will be creating economic opportunities and jobs in a country where 62% of the population live in extreme poverty, on less than $1.90 (£1.45) a day.

Mozambique - which is still suffering from the effects of a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992 - had hoped for a economic boost with the discovery of rich gas deposits in the north.

But an Islamist insurgency that erupted in the northern province of Cabo Delgado in 2017 has put a halt to various lucrative liquefied natural gas projects. They are yet to start up again despite the presence of Rwandan and South Africans troops deployed to deal with the jihadists.

Counting will start after polls close at 18:00 local time, with official results due to be released in about two weeks.