Mozambique’s main opposition leader Venancio Mondlane has told the BBC he is ready to serve in government if President Daniel Chapo meets his demands and ends the political crisis that has hit the country after disputed elections.

El Chapo said he had set up a team and was “considering” whether his rivals should be invited to join a new “inclusive” government.

The pair outlined their respective positions in separate interviews with the BBC, giving the impression that they were willing to reconcile after some 300 people died in post-election riots.

Mondelein denies losing the October election, saying the results were rigged – something El Chapo denies.

Mozambique’s Supreme Court declared Chapo the winner with 65% of the vote to Mondlane’s 24%.

El Chapo was the candidate of the ruling Frelimo party, whose predecessor Felipe Nyusi had to step down after two terms in office.

El Chapo was officially sworn in as president on January 15, about a week after Mondlane held his own inauguration ceremony, declaring himself the “people’s president.”

Mundelein told the BBC that El Chapo had been “forced” into the country and was “president of the Defense Forces”.

Mondlane said he had nonetheless decided to suspend protests for the first 100 days of his opponent’s term, provided he did the following:

• Unconditionally release around 5,000 people detained for taking part in demonstrations against election results
• Pay financial compensation to the families of those killed by police during protests,
• Provide free medical treatment to about 200 people injured by police.

Mundelein said if El Chapo agreed to this, he would “open a window” for negotiations, otherwise he would call on his supporters to renew their protests.

Asked if he was prepared to work in El Chapo’s government, Mondlane responded: “Yes, if he is truly interested in working with me. There is an opportunity for him to invite me to the dialogue.”

El Chapo told the BBC he wanted to “govern in an inclusive way” and introduce reforms to address concerns about electoral laws, human rights and freedom of expression.

He said talks were currently underway with opposition parties in the new parliament and would later be expanded to include “all sectors of society.”

El Chapo added that he wanted to form a government “open to all Mozambicans” but that he wanted to stress that “the image of the people is very important”.

Asked if he believed Mondlane was qualified to serve in government, El Chapo replied: “It will depend… because there is a team now that is looking at the image of the people, their capabilities, their meritocracy, their patriotism – All these prerequisites I mentioned.

“If the team concludes that these individuals have the correct profile, they will become part of the government. Those who do not have that profile will not participate.”

El Chapo, 47, was chosen as the candidate by Frelimo, which has been in power since independence 49 years ago to unite young voters affected by high unemployment and tired of the party’s decades of rule.

He told the BBC he wanted Mozambique to increase local and foreign investment to make the economy “more dynamic”.

This will help create employment opportunities for young people so they can “build homes, families and stabilize lives”.

Mondelein, 50, has gained considerable support among young people after he united them during the campaign with the slogan “Save Mozambique – this country is ours”.

He is running in the polls as an independent after breaking away from the main opposition party, the Resistance Movement.

A small party that supported his campaign won some parliamentary seats in the election.