Former Army Chief in Coup-Prone Comoros Rejects Vote Results

LAGOS (Capital Markets in  Africa) – Comoros opposition leader Soilihi Mohamed, a former chief of staff in the coup-prone nation’s army, announced the formation of a transitional council as he demanded the results of this week’s presidential election be invalidated. He was arrested shortly afterward.

The Indian Ocean archipelago’s electoral commission said Tuesday that Azali Assoumani won a second consecutive presidential term with 61 percent of ballots cast. The opposition had already questioned the credibility of the vote after the Supreme Court barred Assoumani’s main opponent, Ibrahim Mohamed Soule, and six other candidates from running. The March 24 poll was marred further by assaults on those who were allowed to participate as well as the arrest of opposition supporters.

The council should resolve the “post-electoral crisis” and arrange a peaceful transition, Mohamed told reporters Thursday at his house in the capital, Moroni. He also called for a campaign of civil disobedience if the results of the electoral commission aren’t annulled by April 4. Mohamed won 4 percent of the vote, according to the provisional outcome. The Supreme Court has two weeks to validate the results once the electoral commission has announced them.

About 10 gendarmes arrested Mohamed soon after he announced the formation of the transitional council, his wife Oumi Said Abderemane said by phone. Mohamed has spoken several times on behalf of the other 11 opposition candidates who competed, already calling for a rerun of the vote on Tuesday.

Comoros, with a population of less than 1 million people, has had more than 20 coups or attempts at seizing power since it gained independence from France in 1975.

Assoumani earlier won a disputed referendum allowing him to change the constitution, extending presidential term limits and modifying the system of rotating power among the archipelago’s three main islands to 10 years instead of five.

Source: Bloomberg Business News