The Independent National Election Commission (CENI) announced on Tuesday that the ruling party in Comoros emerged victorious in the country’s parliamentary elections.
The party secured 28 out of 33 seats in Sunday’s vote. However, opposition parties boycotted the election or rejected the results, alleging widespread fraud.
Previously holding 22 of the 24 seats in the outgoing parliament, the ruling party benefitted from a 2023 legal amendment that expanded the number of seats.
The main opposition Juwa party abstained from participating in the election, citing concerns about its integrity. Juwa Secretary General Hassane Ahmed el-Barwane denounced the results as fraudulent, stating, “The boycotting of this electoral masquerade by Comorians has exposed the fraud and ballot stuffing in broad daylight.”
Opposition parties that participated in the election also condemned the process. Abdallah Mohamed, an opposition spokesperson, alleged significant irregularities, claiming, “Our representatives who opposed ballot stuffing were expelled from the polling stations.”
In response, Elections Minister Fakridine Mahamoud dismissed the allegations as baseless, saying, “If the opposition feels wronged, they must bring evidence to court.” President Azali Assoumani similarly rejected fraud claims when casting his vote on Sunday.
Critics accuse Assoumani, who has been in power since 2016, of authoritarian tendencies and grooming his eldest son, Nour El-Fath, as his successor when his term ends in 2029.
The Comoros, a small Indian Ocean archipelago with a population of 800,000, has experienced over a dozen attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. The political climate remains tense following these contentious elections.
