The Comoros Islands are scheduled to hold elections for their 33-seat parliament on January 12, according to a decree issued on Saturday. However, opposition parties have announced their intent to boycott the election.
The Indian Ocean archipelago, with a population of approximately 800,000, last held parliamentary elections in January 2020. This upcoming election follows the controversial January presidential election in which incumbent President Azali Assoumani was re-elected for another five-year term. The opposition rejected the results, alleging irregularities, including ballot stuffing and early closure of voting stations.
The government has firmly denied these allegations.
“We are not ready to take part in legislative elections until we know what is going to happen,” said Salim Issa Abdillah, leader of the opposition JUWA party, who was a presidential candidate in the last election. Abdillah expressed distrust in the electoral process under Assoumani’s leadership, stating:
“We will boycott the elections … we do not trust Azali Assoumani because no matter what commitments he makes, he will not respect them.”
Another opposition party, Orange, also announced its withdrawal from the upcoming elections, citing concerns over the reappointment of Idrissa Said as head of the electoral commission. The opposition accuses Said of bias toward the ruling Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros (CRC) party.
In response to these accusations, Said has denied any favoritism.
Assoumani’s political opponents further accuse him of authoritarian tendencies and suspect that he is grooming his eldest son, Nour El-fath, to succeed him in 2029 when his current term concludes.
Assoumani has been a dominant figure in Comorian politics since 1999, when he first seized power through a coup. Since then, he has won three presidential elections, solidifying his grip on the country’s leadership.
