Government and Politics of Comoros

Government Type

independent republic

Administrative Divisions

3 islands; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli (Mwali); note - there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Moutsamoudou

Legal System

French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: No Citizenship by descent only: At least one parent must be a citizen of the Comoros Dual citizenship recognized: No Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016, reelected 24 March 2019, and again in January 2024); note - AZALI first came to power following a 1999 military coup and subsequently won the April 2002 presidential election; under the rotating presidency system established by the 2001 constitution, he was again elected in 2016; following a controversial 2018 constitutional referendum that abolished the rotating island presidency and allowed him to reset his term limits, AZALI was reelected in March 2019; he won a third term in the January 2024 presidential election; the president is both the chief of state and the head of government head of government: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2016); the president is both the chief of state and the head of government; there is no prime minister position under the current constitutional structure cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: under the 2001 constitution, the presidency originally rotated every four years among the three main islands of the Union (Ngazidja/Grande Comore, Ndzuwani/Anjouan, and Mwali/Mohéli); a 2018 constitutional referendum abolished the rotating island system and allowed for standard multi-year terms; presidential elections are now held every five years; the most recent election was held in January 2024, with the next scheduled for 2029 election results: President AZALI Assoumani reelected in the January 2024 presidential election with approximately 57% of the vote, though the results were disputed by opposition candidates who alleged irregularities

Legislative Branch

unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the 18 by universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years); elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CdIA 12, CRC 6; note - 15 additional seats are filled by deputies from local island assemblies

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by the president, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one elected by the Council of each island, and others are former presidents of the republic)

Political Parties

Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros [AZALI Assowmani]; Camp of the Autonomous Islands (a coalition of parties organized by the island Presidents in opposition to the Union President) [leader NA]; Front National pour la Justice or FNJ (Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed RACHID]; Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE]

Head of State

President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI

Head of Government

President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI

Cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

Elections

as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three main islands in the Union; election last held 14 May 2006 (next to be held by May 2010)

Election Results

Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI elected president; percent of vote - Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI 58.0%, Ibrahim HALIDI 28.3%, Mohamed DJAANFAMI 13.7

Constitution

23-Dec-01

Independence

6 July 1975 (from France)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

International Organization Participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Representative to the US and Ambassador to the UN Mahmoud M. ABOUD chancery: Mission to the US, 336 East 45th Street (2nd floor), New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 750-1637

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros

Capital City

Moroni

Location

11 42 S, 43 14 E

Time Difference

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

History

Moroni derives from "mroni," which means "at the river" in Shingazidja, the Comorian language spoken on Grande Comore (N'gazidja)

The U.S. Embassy in Antananarivo is located at Lot 207A, Point Liberty, Andranoro-Antehiroka, Antananarivo (105), Madagascar. The mailing address is B.P. 5253, Antananarivo (105) Madagascar. The telephone number is [261] (20) 23-480-00; the fax number is [261] (20) 23-480-35.

Military Branches

Army of National Development (l'Armee du Developpement Nationale, AND): Comoran Security Force (also called Comoran Defense Force (Force Comorienne de Defense, FCD), includes Gendarmerie), Comoran Coast Guard, Comoran Federal Police

Service Age and Obligation

18 years of age for 2-year voluntary military service; no conscription; women first inducted into the Army in 2004