Comoros election day marred by delays, opposition concerns

As Comoran voters embarked on their journey to polling stations on Sunday, the fate of President Azali Assoumani’s potential third-straight term hung in the balance.

The rain-soaked capital of Moroni witnessed several stations, still awaiting poll staff, displaying electoral lists past the scheduled 7:00 am (0400 GMT) opening time.

Gendarmes and police, anticipating the first wave of voters, were on standby, but delays persisted.

“The vote hasn’t begun because we are waiting for the equipment to set up the voting booth,” mentioned the head of one station near the medina.

Despite these setbacks, scattered reports indicated that voters slowly began casting their ballots across the archipelago.

Azali Assoumani, in power since 2016, faces opposition from five candidates, with some urging a boycott. The president extended his tenure through a controversial 2018 constitutional referendum that eliminated presidential term limits.

Critics have accused Assoumani of suppressing opposition figures, with his predecessor, Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, receiving a life sentence in November 2022 on charges of high treason.

Suspicions of fraud emerged due to late publication of voting lists, leaving many unsure about their designated polling stations. Opposition leaders voiced concerns about the alleged bias in the nomination of station staffers.

The predominantly Muslim nation, comprising nearly 340,000 eligible voters, declared independence from France in 1975. Approximately 45 percent of its 900,000 population lives below the poverty line.

The military stands ready to intervene in case of trouble, but outright protests are infrequent. Assoumani’s supporters hope for a repeat of the 2019 ballot, where he secured 60 percent of the vote in the first round.

Economic concerns loom large among voters, with issues such as unemployment and emigration to France at the forefront. Despite promises, an estimated 300,000 Comorans in France remain disenfranchised.

Remittances from the diaspora contribute significantly to the archipelago’s GDP, reaching over 20 percent in 2022 according to the World Bank.

As voters also choose governors in the polls, provisional results may be available as soon as Monday, according to the CENI electoral commission. If no candidate secures a victory, a second round is scheduled for February 25.

Security measures are intensified for voting day, with the army on standby. Civil society groups deploy observers to safeguard the integrity of the ballot, highlighting the tense atmosphere surrounding this critical election.