Comorian presidential election, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 presidential election in Comoros
was held on 7 November, with a second round on 26 December. Gubernatorial elections for each of the three main islands of Comoros were held on the same dates. There had been an attempt to hold them on 27 November 2011 and extend the presidential term until then, but the Constitutional Court ruled this unconstitutional in May 2010.
, Mohéli
and Grande Comore
. This rotation was Mohéli's turn to supply the president. Incumbent President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi is from Anjouan, and was thus not able to stand as a candidate.
The president is elected in two rounds: in the first round, voters in Mohéli vote in a primary election
, and the top-three from that primary advances to the second round, where voters from all islands elect the president, who needs a plurality of votes to win.
. Another candidate from the Presidential movement was Mohamed Larifou Oukacha, secretary-general of the presidency, showing a possible split in the Presidential faction. The other eight candidates were from the opposition. Among them were Mohamed Said Fazul
, former governor of Mohéli, and Zahariat Said Ahmed, the sole female candidate.
advanced to the second round.
Comoros
The Comoros , officially the Union of the Comoros is an archipelago island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa, on the northern end of the Mozambique Channel, between northeastern Mozambique and northwestern Madagascar...
was held on 7 November, with a second round on 26 December. Gubernatorial elections for each of the three main islands of Comoros were held on the same dates. There had been an attempt to hold them on 27 November 2011 and extend the presidential term until then, but the Constitutional Court ruled this unconstitutional in May 2010.
Process
In Comoros, the presidency rotates every four years between the federation's three constituent islands: AnjouanAnjouan
Anjouan is an autonomous island, part of the Union of Comoros. The island is located in the Indian Ocean. Its capital is Mutsamudu and its population as of 2006 is about 277,500. The total area of the island is 424 sq. kilometers Anjouan (also known as Ndzuwani or Nzwani) is an autonomous island,...
, Mohéli
Mohéli
Mohéli, also known as Mwali, is one of the three islands which make up the nation of Comoros. Mohéli is located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is by far the smallest of the Comoros islands. Its population, as of 2006, is about 38,000. Its capital city is Fomboni...
and Grande Comore
Grande Comore
Grande Comore is an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. It is the largest island in the Comoros nation. Most of its population is of the Comorian ethnic group. Its population as of 2006 is about 316,600. The island's capital is Moroni, which is also the national capital...
. This rotation was Mohéli's turn to supply the president. Incumbent President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi is from Anjouan, and was thus not able to stand as a candidate.
The president is elected in two rounds: in the first round, voters in Mohéli vote in a primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, and the top-three from that primary advances to the second round, where voters from all islands elect the president, who needs a plurality of votes to win.
Candidates
There were ten candidates in the presidential primary election. President Sambi supported current Vice President Ikililou DhoinineIkililou Dhoinine
Ikililou Dhoinine is a Comorian politician and the current President of Comoros; he was previously a Vice-President of Comoros. Dhoinine won the 2010 Comorian presidential election where he received the most votes in the first round . He faced Mohamed Said Fazul and Abdou Djabir in a run-off...
. Another candidate from the Presidential movement was Mohamed Larifou Oukacha, secretary-general of the presidency, showing a possible split in the Presidential faction. The other eight candidates were from the opposition. Among them were Mohamed Said Fazul
Mohamed Said Fazul
Mohamed Said Fazul was president of the Comorian island of Mohéli from 19 May 2002 to 1 July 2007.He worked as a pharmacist and taught natural sciences at a Fomboni college until his nomination by President Azali Assoumani in March 2001 to be governor of Mohéli...
, former governor of Mohéli, and Zahariat Said Ahmed, the sole female candidate.
First round
Ikililou Dhoinine, Mohamed Said Fazul and Bianrifi Tarmidhi received the most votes in the first round primary. However, Tarmidhi's total number of votes was cut down on 13 November by the constitutional court after it had decided to invalidate the ballots from several polling stations. This meant that, besides Dhoinine and Fazul, Abdou DjabirAbdou Djabir
Abdou Djabir Msada is a Comorian politician and civil servant. He ran for the Presidency of the Comoros in 2010 and finished in third place behind winner Ikililou Dhoinine. Djabir was born on the island of Mohéli and worked as a civil servant in France....
advanced to the second round.