Election Day in the Comoros, this Sunday, January 14, where 338,000 voters out of a population of 836,000 people are called to the polls to elect their governors and above all their president. Azali Assoumani, in power since 2016, is seeking a new mandate. In front of him, five opposition candidates. Voting day took place in an atmosphere of great tension.
Published on: 14.01.2024 – 13:48
2 minutes
With our special correspondent to Moroni, David Bache
For this first electoral round, election day was characterized by a certain number of dysfunctions. Polling stations generally opened at least an hour and a half late as ballot boxes and election materials were not delivered in time. Some polling stations were moved at the last minute, without official justification, and there were disoriented voters wondering where to vote.
Few voters
Between these difficulties and the heavy rain all morning, there were relatively few voters at the polling stations this morning. Despite the climate of mistrust, some demonstrate confidence in the electoral process, while opposition candidates complain that they are not represented at polling stations.
They claim that their representatives were generally refused access to polling stations on the three islands of Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli. This is what some candidates or some members of their electoral team have directly assured.
It all revolved around the issue of accreditations, which they had received late. The Independent National Electoral Commission (Céni) therefore accepted, on Friday 12 January, an agreement to circumvent some legal provisions and allow opposition representatives to access polling stations with documents other than those initially expected. The problem is that this hasn’t worked in practice, at least not always.
« Massive fraud » says the opposition
The opposition denounces a” strategy planned from the beginning “, from the ” filling of ballot boxes » and talks about « massive fraud “. The Minister of the Interior of the Comoros, responsible for the elections. Fakridine Mahamoud was in front of a polling station of the island’s Council, in the center of the capital Moroni, where, in fact, tempers were heating up around this issue.
“The problem that arises is that there is a space problem. We can’t fit eighteen people in one office. So what those in charge of the polling stations have asked for is to be able to return, each in turn.
Fakridine Mahamoud, Minister of the Interior of the Comoros
David Bache
Polling stations are open until 18:00 local time, 15:00 UT and according to the official calendar, the results will be announced no earlier than tomorrow evening, Monday 15 January, no later than five days after the vote.
Read alsoPresidential elections in Comoros: issues and promises of the candidates
2024-01-14 12:48:24
#election #marked #number #dysfunctions