The Comoros government has announced that parliamentary elections for its 33-seat assembly will take place on January 12, as per a decree published on Saturday. However, opposition parties have declared their intention to boycott the elections.
The Indian Ocean archipelago, home to approximately 800,000 residents, last held parliamentary polls in January 2020. During that election, incumbent President Azali Assoumani was re-elected for another five-year term. The opposition, however, rejected the election results, citing allegations of ballot stuffing and premature voting closure, claims that the government has denied.
“We are not ready to take part in legislative elections until we know what is going to happen,” stated Salim Issa Abdillah, leader of the opposition JUWA party, who previously contested against Assoumani. “We will boycott (the elections) … we do not trust Azali Assoumani because no matter what commitments he makes, he will not respect them.”
The Orange party, another opposition faction, has also announced its decision to withdraw from the electoral process, expressing concerns over the reappointment of Idrissa Said as the head of the electoral body. They accuse Said of bias in favour of the ruling Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros (CRC) party, a claim that Said has denied.
Critics of Assoumani accuse him of authoritarianism and speculate that he is grooming his eldest son, Nour El-fath, to succeed him in 2029, following the conclusion of his current term. Assoumani has been at the helm of Comoros since 1999, initially seizing power through a coup and subsequently winning three elections.
