By : Lloyd Mahachi
The ruling party in the Comoros has won a decisive victory in the country’s parliamentary elections, securing 28 out of 33 seats. The Independent National Election Commission (CENI) announced the results late on Tuesday, but the opposition was quick to reject the outcome, citing allegations of fraud and ballot stuffing.
The main opposition Juwa party had boycotted the election, citing concerns over transparency, and described the results as a farce. “The boycotting of the electoral masquerade by Comorians has exposed the electoral fraud and ballot stuffing in broad daylight,” said Juwa Secretary General Hassane Ahmed el-Barwane in a statement.
Other opposition parties that participated in the election also rejected the results, citing irregularities and intimidation. “Our representatives who opposed ballot stuffing were expelled from the polling stations,” said Abdallah Mohamed, a spokesperson for the opposition parties.
The Elections Minister, Fakridine Mahamoud, dismissed the opposition’s allegations, saying they were unfounded and that they should take their complaints to court. President Azali Assoumani, who cast his vote on Sunday, also dismissed the allegations of fraud.
Assoumani’s opponents have accused him of authoritarian rule and of preparing his eldest son, Nour El-Fath, to replace him when his term ends in 2029. The Comoros has a history of political instability, with more than a dozen attempted coups since it gained independence from France in 1975.
The country’s electoral commission has announced that two seats will go to a runoff on February 16, while the ruling party’s victory has given it a strong majority in the parliament ¹. The opposition’s rejection of the results has raised concerns about the legitimacy of the election and the potential for further instability in the country.
The international community has called for calm and restraint, urging all parties to respect the electoral process and to resolve any disputes peacefully. The Comoros is a small island nation in the Indian Ocean, with a population of just 800,000 people.
Editor : Josephine Mahachi