Clashes erupted between police and demonstrators in the Comoros following the declaration of the incumbent President Azali Assoumani’s victory in the first round of the presidential elections conducted earlier this week. The opposition considered the elections fraudulent and has called for the annulment of the results.
Protestors blocked some streets in the capital Moroni with barriers made of stones and household items. Meanwhile, numerous shops closed their doors this past Wednesday.
According to the French news agency, the angry demonstrators set fire to several buildings, including the house of the Minister of Transport, Bianrifi Tarmidi. Charred vehicles were seen in the streets, along with remnants of burning tires, giving the impression that the city was witnessing gang warfare.
Police forces established a cordon around the center of the capital, which has a population of approximately 100,000 residents. Police, gendarmerie, and army troops were deployed in sizable numbers in the cities experiencing unrest, closing off main roads.
Election results show that the outgoing president Assoumani won another term from the first round after receiving 62.97% of the votes. It is noteworthy that Assoumani had previously led a coup before becoming a civilian president.
The opposition has cast doubt on the election results and demanded their cancellation, calling on the people to impose their will and electoral choices by protesting to invalidate the election results.
The presidential vote recorded a low participation rate that did not exceed 16.30%, according to the Electoral Commission, which contradicts the preliminary estimates published on Sunday evening that exceeded 60%.
In a joint statement released soon after the announcement of the preliminary election results, the opposition candidates denounced the elections and demanded their annulment. The joint statement declared, “Undoubtedly, the voting process conducted on Sunday, January 14, 2024, is null and void.”
They asserted that the official turnout figures indicate that about two-thirds of the voters cast their ballots to elect regional governors and not the president, dealing “a blow to the validity of the election results announcement.”
The candidates stated that the actual number of voters did not exceed 55,258, while official sources claim that 189,497 voters participated in the electoral process. They believe that “this significant discrepancy proves blatant fraud in the elections.”
The opposition also reported having recorded numerous irregularities during the voting process last Sunday, while some opposition candidates claimed that soldiers “halted the voting” by seizing ballot boxes in several regions supportive of the president’s opponents.
The United Nations called for calm and urged the authorities to protect citizens’ right to protest.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, urged the authorities to protect democratic principles and called on the protesters to avoid resorting to violence.
The election results will be presented to the Supreme Court for verification, the highest court in a country with a population of about 870,000, where 45% live below the poverty line.
