Comoros President Azali Assoumani has declared himself the winner of Sunday’s presidential election, despite accusations of fraud and irregularities by his rivals.
The Indian Ocean archipelago, which has a history of coups and political instability, held its fourth election since Assoumani came to power in a coup in 1999. He has since won three elections and changed the constitution in 2018 to remove the rotational presidency among the three main islands.
Assoumani, who also served as the chair of the African Union for the past year, said he was confident of securing a fourth term in the first round of voting.
“I hope for a victory in the first round because I have worked hard for the development of Comoros,” he told reporters after casting his ballot on his home island of Grande Comore.
But his five opponents, who participated in the election despite some opposition leaders calling for a boycott, said the vote was marred by ballot stuffing, pre-marked ballots, and early closure of polling stations.
Opposition Cries Foul
Salim Issa, an independent candidate, said soldiers had collected the ballot boxes before the official closing time in some regions of Anjouan, the second-largest island.
“In Anjouan, soldiers came to collect the ballot boxes before closing time in Nyumakele, the most populated region of the island,” he said at a news conference north of the capital Moroni.
Mouigni Baraka, another independent candidate, said they had reports of ballots being stuffed in favor of Assoumani in Mwali, the smallest island.
The opposition candidates did not provide any evidence to back up their claims.
Houmed Msaidie, Assoumani’s campaign director, denied the allegations and asked the candidates to provide proof.
“False, there was no ballot stuffing. In all elections, if we have the human resources, there cannot be ballot stuffing,” he said at a news conference in Moroni.
Idrissa Saïd, the president of the election commission, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The commission expects to release the provisional results on Friday.
A Quest for Stability and Development
Comoros, a former French colony, has a population of about 800,000 people and is one of the world’s poorest countries. It is also a major source of irregular migration to the nearby French island of Mayotte.
The country has experienced around 20 coups or attempted coups since winning independence from France in 1975. The last coup attempt was in 2013 when a group of soldiers tried to overthrow Assoumani.
Assoumani has said his main goal is to bring stability and development to Comoros, which relies heavily on remittances from its diaspora and foreign aid. He has also sought to improve relations with France, the former colonial power, and the Gulf states, which have invested in infrastructure and tourism projects.
The opposition has also accused him of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, which has infected more than 4,000 people and killed 146 in Comoros, according to the World Health Organization.
Despite the tensions and challenges, many Comorians hope the election will pave the way for peace and reconciliation in the troubled nation.
The international community, including the African Union, the United Nations, and the European Union, has called for a peaceful and credible election and urged all parties to respect the will of the people and the rule of law.
Source: ReutersÂ
