Written by: Asana Abukari and Peter Agbesi Adivor
Comoros
- one of Africa’s Island nations, is set to elect a new president on come January
14th, 2024. About
340,000 voters are estimated to exercise their franchise on
Sunday. The incumbent, President Azali Assoumani who has been in power since
1999 is seeking for a third term but will be running against five (5) other
candidates.
The
other candidates include; Salim Issa Abdillah of the Juwa party, Mouigni Baraka
Said Soilihi of Democratic Rally of the Comoros (RDCE), Daoudou Abdallah
Mohamed of the Orange party, Aboudou Soefo of the Tsasi Movement and
independent candidate, Bourhane Hamidou.
A
constitutional referendum
in 2018 revolutionized the Comoros’ political system,
relinquishing the status quo of the three main islands of the Comoro; Anjouan, Grande Comore and Moheli rotating the
presidency. The referendum also instituted a two-round voting system where the
election enters a second round (run off) if no candidate obtains the majority
vote in the first round.
The
African Elections Project takes a look at the profiles of the presidential candidates in the upcoming presidential elections.
Salim
Issah Abdillah
Salim
Issah Abdillah, 49, is one of President Azali’s key contenders in this year’s
election. He is running on the ticket of former President Ahmed Abdallah
Mohamed Sambi’s Juwa political party in Comoros established in 2013. A medical
doctor by profession, Abdillah is considered a novice in the Comorian political
space.
He
has presented himself as an advocate for change, vowing to address economic
strife in the country if given the nod as president for the next five years. He
plans to achieve this by implementing social reforms, free emergency
healthcare, and cutting down government expenditure.
Azali
Assoumani
Azali
Assoumani, 65, is the current president of Comoros since 2019. He leads the Convention
for the Renewal of the Comoros party.
Azali has been the head of state of the India Ocean Archipelago nation since
1999 after he staged a coup d’etat. He was later elected as president in 2002,
2016 and 2019 and has served as chairperson of the African Union since February
2023.
As
president, his rule has been marred by clampdown
on opposition and dissent. Opposition groups have accused
Azali of amending the constitution he once introduced to allow him to lead the
country until 2029.
If
elected, this will mark his fourth term as president of the Island country of
over 800,000 people.
As
part of his campaign, he has touted and pledged to continue the construction of
roads, hospitals, and other infrastructure projects. He also promises to create
a favorable environment for investors as well us focusing development in the
health and education sectors of the country.
Mouigni
Baraka Said Soilihi
Mouigni
Baraka Said Soilihi is the leader of the Comoros Democratic Rally for Equality in
Comoro which was established in November 2013. He served as the governor of Grande Comore
(Ngazidja) from 2011 to 2016. His first attempt at the presidency was in 2016 when
he contested against incumbent president Azali Assoumani. He made another
unsuccessful attempt in 2019, obtaining only 6% of the vote.
The
priority of the Soilihi campaign is to review the constitution which he claims
is designed for the incumbent President Azali. The former governor is counting
on his achievements in Grand Comore to canvass for votes. He pledges to
dissolve the National Assembly, introduce a new constitution and hold fresh
elections. On the economy, Soilihi plans to cut down the expenditure of the
presidency if elected into office.
Aboudou
Soefo
Aboudou
Soefo was a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and leader of the Tsasi
movement. His campaign is centered around the fight against high cost of living
and the establishment of social safety nets to alleviate household costs
through curbing inflation and introducing free medical care.
Daoudou
Abdallah Mohamed
Daoudou
Abdallah Mohamed has been the leader of the Orange Party in Comoros since 2016.
He was a former mayor of the capital city, Moroni. Daoudou also served as
Minister of interior from 2016 to 2021. According to him, his decision to run
for president stems from the existing polarization, high standard of living, and
youth unemployment in Comoros. In that regard, he has indicated his interest to
fight against high-cost of living in country by increasing purchasing power and
retirement pensions, and reforming the countries tax system.
Bourhane
Hamidou
Bourhane
Hamidou is the last of the six candidates and the only independent candidate
running in this year’s Comorian election. He has served as President and
Speaker of the National Assembly and Minister of Interior and Information.
Hamidou’s
presidency intends to focus on improving the country’s education and health
systems. To achieve this, his campaign pledges to introduce free emergency
medical services. He also seeks to review the constitution like most of the
opposition candidates and consider allowing Comorians living in the diaspora to
participate in voting.
Will
this year’s election be free and fair?
Presidential elections in Comoros have always been faced with controversies in the past. After the incumbent president was declared as the winner in 2019, opposition parties protested against the outcome of the election with allegations of irregularities among others during the voting process. Some members of the opposition are determined to boycott the elections due to their lack of trust in the electoral process. All five opposition candidates have raised concerns about the conduct of the election but are determined to push through unlike proponents of the boycott. Authorities are also expected to maintain an increased security posture nationwide, especially in Moroni, through mid-January during Sunday’s election.
Editing by: Emmanuel Asomani Koranteng
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