On Monday, Mozambique police fired teargas at demonstrators in Maputo, where two opposition party members were shot dead on Saturday following a contested election. The protesters had gathered to demand transparency in the aftermath of the disputed October 9 national election.

With the final results expected this week, early indications suggest another victory for the ruling Frelimo party. Opposition candidates, however, have accused the government of election rigging, a claim Frelimo has denied.

Frelimo has governed Mozambique since 1975, but opposition parties, civil society groups, and election observers have accused the party of electoral fraud. Despite these allegations, the ruling party maintains that the election was fair.

One protester, Vladimir Manhique, a 32-year-old car mechanic, voiced frustration over the police’s handling of the situation. “The police are escalating the violence by firing at us. We’re here to demand the truth about the election,” he said. "This is our way of showing that enough is enough. This regime must fall.”

A Reuters reporter witnessed a civilian firing a gun at the crowd before entering a car with a police officer, raising concerns about the police’s use of force. Mozambican police have previously used live ammunition at political protests, including last year. Efforts to reach a police spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful.

Tensions have heightened since the fatal shooting of an opposition lawyer and a party official in their car in Maputo on Saturday. The killings have intensified unrest ahead of a national strike organized by independent presidential candidate Venancio Mondlane, who declared the strike a success on Monday.

Many businesses in Maputo remained closed, and the usually busy streets were largely deserted. After clashes with police, Mondlane urged protesters to return home.

Mozambique’s electoral commission has yet to address allegations of fraud. U.S.-based election observers noted that the election failed to meet international democratic standards, citing incidents of vote buying, intimidation, inflated voter rolls, and other irregularities.