MORONI: The Comorian government announced on Saturday that parliamentary elections for the 33-seat assembly will take place on January 12, 2025, although opposition parties have declared their intention to boycott the upcoming polls, citing concerns over the electoral process and the current political climate.
Comoros, an Indian Ocean archipelago with a population of approximately 800,000, last held parliamentary elections in January 2020. During those elections, incumbent President Azali Assoumani was re-elected for a five-year term.
However, the opposition rejected the election results, alleging instances of ballot stuffing and premature closure of polling stations. The government has consistently denied these allegations.
“We are not ready to take part in legislative elections until we know what is going to happen,” stated Salim Issa Abdillah, leader of the opposition JUWA party, who previously ran against Assoumani.
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He said, “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, has also announced its withdrawal from the election process, primarily due to the reappointment of Idrissa Said as the head of the electoral body. They accuse Said of bias towards the ruling Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros (CRC) party, a claim that Said has denied.
Opposition groups have accused Assoumani of authoritarianism and have raised concerns about his intentions to groom his eldest son, Nour El-fath, as a potential successor in the 2029 elections, when his current term is set to end.
Since coming to power through a coup in 1999, Assoumani has dominated Comorian politics, having won three elections since then.
