Comoros Ruling Party
Wins Majority Seats
President
Ahmed Sambi's ruling coalition in Comoros has won an
overwhelming majority in legislative elections.
Preliminary results, with all ballots counted gave Sambi's
ruling ‘Baobab Tree’ coalition 79 per cent of the votes.
Majority seats
If the tally is confirmed by the Constitutional Court, the
coalition's margin of victory would give it 19 out of the 24
available assembly seats and will help attempts by Sambi to
extend his stay in office.
Sambi took over the presidency, which rotates between the three
main islands located between Madagascar and Mozambique, in 2006
in Comoros' first democratic transition of power since
independence from France in 1975.
Sambi, who is regarded by supporters as an Islamic reformer, is
due to step down in May under the terms of the constitution.
Opposition leader Houmed Msaidie said, ’’The opposition has won
five seats across the three islands.’’
One of the first tasks facing the new assembly will be to ratify
or reject a ‘yes’ vote in an earlier referendum to align federal
and local elections.
Critics say the referendum was a ploy by him to cling to power.
Composition
Local governments on Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli
islands will name another nine parliamentarians.
After winning a majority in local council elections on December
6, Sambi's coalition will pick six while the opposition will
name three.
Local observers said a strong majority in the assembly would
ease the passing of a bill endorsing the referendum result.
The electoral commission is due to approve the results before
sending them to the Constitutional Court.
NAN/Yinka
