Daniel Chapo, 47, announced as ruling party’s candidate in October presidential election

The ruling party in Mozambique, Frelimo, has announced Daniel Franciso Chapo, a member of its Central Committee, as the party’s candidate in the presidential election in October, state media reported on Monday, according to Xinhua.

Last month, Mozambique’s National Elections Commission (CNE) said more than 90 percent of the country’s citizens of voting age had already registered for the general elections slated for October.

Chapo won 94.1 percent of the votes cast by members of the Frelimo Central Committee of Frelimo at its extraordinary session Sunday night, Radio Mozambique reported.

President Filipe Nyusi, the Frelimo party chief, chaired three extraordinary sessions of the Central Committee to decide on the candidate, the report said.

“Daniel Chapo is the face of our party for the October 9 elections. We will carry him,” Nyusi said.

According to reports, the 47-year-old law graduate was appointed governor of the province of Inhambane in March 2016. Before that, he taught constitutional law and political science.

Born in Sofala Province, in 1977, Chapo has a master’s degree in development management from the Catholic University of Mozambique.

Chapo is Frelimo’s first presidential candidate born after the country’s independence in 1975.

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