Voters in Comoros began casting their ballots today, Sunday, in a presidential election that is widely expected to grant President Azali Assoumani a fourth five-year term. Assoumani is competing against five opposition candidates, while other opposition leaders have boycotted the election. Voting across the Indian Ocean archipelago started at 8 a.m. local time (05:00 GMT) and will conclude at 6 p.m.
The number of eligible voters in the election is 338,940 registered voters out of a population of 800,000. Comoros has witnessed approximately 20 coups or attempts since gaining independence from France in 1975. It is a major departure point for irregular migration to the nearby French island of Mayotte.
Some opposition leaders have called for a boycott of the elections, accusing the electoral commission of favoring the ruling party. The commission denies this, stating that the voting will be fair. Assoumani, a former army officer, came to power for the first time following a coup in 1999. Since then, he has won three elections and served as the President of the African Union over the past year.
Comoros changed its constitution in 2018 to abolish the rotation of the presidency among its three main islands every five years. This change has allowed Assoumani to run for reelection. Among Assoumani's opponents is a former interior minister and Salim Issa, a doctor and candidate from the Juwa party. According to the electoral commission, preliminary results are expected to emerge next Friday.
