Two major opposition political parties, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) and the Democratic Movement of Mozambique, decided to boycott the ceremony.

About 250 lawmakers were sworn in on Monday as a sense of uneasy calm persisted in violence-stricken Mozambique.

However, two major opposition parties, the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo) and the Democratic Movement of Mozambique, chose to boycott the ceremony, citing ongoing disputes over the results of the presidential elections held on October 9.

Margarida Talapa, the newly elected speaker of the national assembly, emphasized that the legislature would focus on fostering dialogue and inclusivity as a way to address the ongoing political deadlock in the Southern African nation.

Talapa, a member of the ruling Frelimo party, won the position of speaker with 160 votes, defeating two other candidates.

Since October 21, Mozambique has been rocked by deadly protests against the presidential election results. Platforma DECIDE, an election monitoring organization, reported that at least 300 people have lost their lives in the unrest.

However, the situation has calmed in recent days following the return of opposition leader Venacio Mondlane to the country last week.