President Azali Assoumani of Comoros has conferred significant new powers to his son, Nour El Fath, enabling him to influence all stages of government decision-making.
This move comes after Assoumani appointed El Fath as the coordinator of government affairs last month.
Assoumani, 65, who faced allegations of voter fraud during his re-election in January, has been accused by his opponents of grooming his son to succeed him when his term ends in 2029. Assoumani has not addressed these accusations.
El Fath did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the matter.
“There is no doubt that Colonel Azali Assoumani, by granting presidential and constitutional prerogatives to his son, is preparing the latter to succeed him,” stated Franco-Comorian lawyer and political commentator Saïd Larifou to Reuters.
According to a presidential decree published on Tuesday, El Fath’s responsibilities will include evaluating ministers and intervening at all stages of government decision execution. El Fath, 40, served as a senior economic adviser to Assoumani starting in 2019 before being appointed the secretary general of the government on July 1.
Government spokesperson Fatima Hamada explained that the presidential decree was intended to clarify and formalize El Fath’s powers as secretary general.
Comoros, an archipelago of three islands off the coast of Mozambique with a population of about 800,000, has experienced approximately 20 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. Assoumani initially seized power in a 1999 coup and has since won four elections starting in 2002.
Constitutional reforms in 2018 extended the presidency rotation requirement among the three main islands from every five years to ten. Therefore, El Fath would be ineligible to replace his father at the end of the presidential term in 2029 unless the constitution is amended again.
