On October 11, 2023, local elections were held in Mozambique. The FRELIMO party, in power since independence in 1975, won again. However, controversies arose over transparency and allegations of irregularities. The main opposition parties, RENAMO and MDM, contested the results.

Although the National Electoral Commission (CNE) announced official results on October 26, giving victory to the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) in 64 of the 65 municipalities, uncertainty has gripped Mozambican society. Challenges to the results by the opposition and civil society organizations denounced a "mega-fraud" in favour of FRELIMO. In response to this sentiment, there were attempts to paralyze the country and violent demonstrations in various parts of the territory, until the announcement of the Constitutional Council.

The question "but who won?" reflects the sense of injustice and frustration generated by the 40 days of uncertainty about the winners of the elections. Between the twists and turns in the results in some constituencies and the silence in others considered vital, until the pronouncement of the Constitutional Council, which contradicted the results announced by the National Electoral Commission, reversing 8 municipalities that had been won by FRELIMO. This fixed the result of these elections, which are already considered "the most fraudulent" in Mozambique since independence, with FRELIMO winning 56 of the 65 municipalities.

Now that the animosity surrounding the results has calmed down, I, a quiet, informed citizen, believe that we have all lost out as a result of the whole process and the acceptance of the election results. More than revealing a weakened and disorganized political opposition, the results announced discredit, discredit and weaken democracy in Mozambique. We all need to do more and better for the good of the country and the institutions that represent it, otherwise we will continue to postpone the dream of many Mozambicans.

During and after the elections, I have been watching the "battle" between MP Venâncio Mondlane, the former leader of RENAMO, the largest opposition party in Mozambique, and the leader of his party, General Ossufo Momade, to determine the best candidate for this political organization in the next presidential elections. Today this battle has spilled over into the courts.

On a different scale, but with the same pretensions and repercussions, I have witnessed the difficulties of defining a candidate in the FRELIMO party, which has just emerged from a meeting of its Central Committee, more divided than in communion of ideas and leadership.

In my position as a simple, quiet and informed citizen, attentive and concerned about the escalation of social pressure and poverty in our country, I recognize that it is important for those who govern us to understand that the whole process of evolution and development is done in stages. Everyone fulfills their role until it is time to pass on the baton so that others can continue their mission. This passing of the baton should not be understood as devaluation or ingratitude, but rather as natural stages of evolution.

Unfortunately, our leaders' desire to perpetuate themselves in the positions we entrust to them shows a profound lack of interest in collective achievements. It is now more than evident that the inability of the political parties that represent us to manage their internal agendas proves the manifest contestation and lack of leadership based on servant leadership and collective achievements that transcend the interests of these political parties and their members. This is demonstrated in the impoverishment of the country, the inability of the state to deal with and overcome economic and social pressures, and popular frustration. As a result, there is a growing disbelief in the instruments that indicate those who are profiled for the role of governing the country. In the case of RENAMO, this is even more aggravating, as it is striving to prove that, even with a large electoral support base as a result of the protest vote generated by years of dissatisfaction and frustration with FRELIMO's governance, the party in power since the country's independence, has no ambition to value collective achievements, much less the will to govern, laying bare its inability to prove to the electorate that it is a viable alternative to the postponed dreams of most Mozambicans.

In the aftermath of the last local elections, between "violations" of their own statutes and attempts to remove voices that were not satisfied with the silence of the post-election results, these two parties need to prove to the people they represent that they are capable of much more than just managing their internal problems, which, in my opinion, represent only a fraction of Mozambique's structural difficulties. Despite the country's recognized potential in terms of natural resources, it is ranked as one of the five poorest countries in the world.

For now, the question is no longer "who won?". The question is "who will make Mozambique's dream come true?" Is it possible to entrust the leadership of the country to "leaders" who demonstrate a lack of will to govern and an inability to prove to the electorate that they are a viable alternative, putting the country's designs and structural needs above their personal aspirations?

I hope that "our" leaders will be able to prove that they can, because we, the people, deserve it. The future of the country depends on your commitment, selflessness, dedication and commitment.