Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Comoros – Gearing Up For Elections

Comoros – Gearing Up For Elections 20818 – Africa Research Bulletin Internal Developments Several secular and leftist groups either The presidential vote will be held on Comoros – Gearing Up For boycotted the vote or were poorly rep- December 1st, 2016, and the legislative Elections resented. elections on April 6th, 2017, Joe Colley, head of communications at the Gambia The low turnout came more than two Presidential elections will be held in the National Independent Electoral Com- Comoros on February 21st 2016. How- years after the military toppled Islamist mission, told AFP. ever, Radio France Internationale (30/11) president Mohamed Mursi and reported that the opposition was seeking a unleashed a deadly crackdown on his President Yahya Jammeh was elected for change to the constitution to remove the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which the first time in 1996 and has been re- rotational presidency among the three has since been proscribed. elected three times since, most recently in islands. 2011 with 72% of the vote. Thousands of Brotherhood supporters Supporters of former president Ahmed have been jailed and hundreds have been His party, the Alliance for Patriotic Abdallah Sambi, who wanted to stand in sentenced to death, although many have Reorientation and Construction the polls, sought to get rid of this measure to allow Mr Sambi to compete, although won retrials. (APRC), won a landslide at the last theoretically only a representative from legislative elections in 2012, a vote that While the low turnout – compared with another island in the archipelago would be was boycotted by six opposition parties eligible for election. (RFI, Paris 30/11) high participation for the 2012 parlia- accusing the regime of “abuse of power.” ment – may signal voter apathy or The filing of nomination papers for the dissent, many people in the country see Colley said operations to boost voter 2016 presidential election ended on little use for a parliament. awareness in the nation of some 1.8m December 21st. In all, more than 20 people would begin soon, with registra- candidates are in the race. Among these Though reviled by Islamists and secular are Hamidou Bourhane, who was Speaker tion to kick off in January. (© AFP 7/12 dissidents who have not been spared the of the National Assembly until January 2015) crackdown on dissent, Sisi remains pop- 2015; former president Azali Assoumani, ular with many who say a strong man is Islamic Republic: On December 11th, who was Sambi’s predecessor, and also the mayor of the capital, Moroni, Mohamed needed at Egypt’s helm. President Jammeh declared the Gambia Daoud. (RFI, Paris 23/12) an Islamic republic to break from the Sisi, the former army chief who ousted nation’s colonial past. It does not Others are Assoumany Abdou, the former Mursi and then won presidential elec- appear that the announcement changes boss of the Meck (Mutual Savings Credit tions, had promised the parliamentary Union of Comoros] bank; Mmadi Ali Gambia’s laws or the country’s consti- election as the last stage in a return to (Ngazidja), Cheich Allaoui (Anjouan) and tutional status as a secular state. democracy. Said Attoumane (Mwali). (HZK-Presse, Jammeh made the declaration at a polit- Moroni 9/12) Sisi does not have a party, and had ical rally in the coastal village Brufut, refused to endorse any of the coalitions On December 28th, RFI reported that the nine miles west of the capital, Banjul. that contested the election, but he has Constitutional Court had invalidated the candidature of former president Ahmed called for a unified parliament. “In line with the country’s religious Abdallah Sambi for the presidential elec- identity and values, I proclaim Gambia The new parliament, as it is, is not likely tion. as an Islamic state,” the Gambian leader to challenge the President or repeal laws said. About 90% of Gambians people According to the French radio, the candi- he has passed in its absence. dature of the former head of state had are Muslim, around 8% are Christian been a subject of controversy for months Egyptian media outlets have reported and two percent are defined as having because of the rotation of the presidency that at least 80 members of the parlia- indigenous beliefs. between the islands of the archipelago. ment were members of Mubarak’s The court ruled that Abdallah Sambi Jammeh said the rights of Gambia’s National Democratic Party (NDP), could not run in the race as according to Christian community would be which was disbanded after his ouster in the rotation it was the turn of Grande respected. ”We will be an Islamic state the 2011 popular uprising. (© AFP 4/12 Comore to have a president. (RFI, Paris that would respect the rights of all 2015) 28/12) citizens and non-citizens.” The Arab League mission that followed The head of the country’s Islamic body the Egyptian parliamentary elections wouldn’t say if he endorsed the declaration. in voting that took place over more than submitted its final report on December six weeks. 21st. The fifty-page report comprises “We haven’t met yet to discuss over the notes and recommendations on the elec- presidential announcement,” said Gam- Voters cast ballots for 120 seats that toral process that includes a proposal to bia’s Supreme Islamic Council Chair- went to party lists and remaining seats establish a national authority for elec- man Imam Momodou Lamin Touray. for individual candidates. tions. The report notes the weak voter Hamat Bah of the opposition National All party list seats went to the For Love turnout, but says the polls still marked Reconciliation Party criticised the deci- of Egypt coalition, an alliance of parties an important step forward for the coun- sion. “There is a constitutional clause and groups that support President Abdel try. It praised the electoral process, its that says that Gambia is a secular state,” Fattah al-Sisi. organisation and transparency. (MENA he said. “You cannot make such a news agency, Cairo 21/12) Poll – part two The individual seats went to a mix of declaration without going through a p. 20778C party-affiliated candidates and indepen- referendum.” (AP 13/12) dents, Abbas said. Experts say the new 596-member parlia- NIGERIA THE GAMBIA ment is expected to have lawmakers who firmly back Sisi. Gubernatorial Re-runs Elections in December: The Gambia will The new parliament, which will convene hold presidential elections in December Voting in Bayelsa is marred by deadly on January 10th, will include 28 presi- 2016 with legislative polls scheduled for violence. dential appointees, with the rest elected four months later, the electoral commis- President Muhammadu Buhari’s ruling under the complex system of indepen- sion said on December 7th. party won the governorship in central dent candidates and party lists. AB C © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series Wiley

Comoros – Gearing Up For Elections

Loading next page...
 
/lp/wiley/comoros-gearing-up-for-elections-1IRQDcsO19

References (0)

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
Wiley
Copyright
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
ISSN
0001-9844
eISSN
1467-825X
DOI
10.1111/j.1467-825X.2016.06773.x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

20818 – Africa Research Bulletin Internal Developments Several secular and leftist groups either The presidential vote will be held on Comoros – Gearing Up For boycotted the vote or were poorly rep- December 1st, 2016, and the legislative Elections resented. elections on April 6th, 2017, Joe Colley, head of communications at the Gambia The low turnout came more than two Presidential elections will be held in the National Independent Electoral Com- Comoros on February 21st 2016. How- years after the military toppled Islamist mission, told AFP. ever, Radio France Internationale (30/11) president Mohamed Mursi and reported that the opposition was seeking a unleashed a deadly crackdown on his President Yahya Jammeh was elected for change to the constitution to remove the Muslim Brotherhood movement, which the first time in 1996 and has been re- rotational presidency among the three has since been proscribed. elected three times since, most recently in islands. 2011 with 72% of the vote. Thousands of Brotherhood supporters Supporters of former president Ahmed have been jailed and hundreds have been His party, the Alliance for Patriotic Abdallah Sambi, who wanted to stand in sentenced to death, although many have Reorientation and Construction the polls, sought to get rid of this measure to allow Mr Sambi to compete, although won retrials. (APRC), won a landslide at the last theoretically only a representative from legislative elections in 2012, a vote that While the low turnout – compared with another island in the archipelago would be was boycotted by six opposition parties eligible for election. (RFI, Paris 30/11) high participation for the 2012 parlia- accusing the regime of “abuse of power.” ment – may signal voter apathy or The filing of nomination papers for the dissent, many people in the country see Colley said operations to boost voter 2016 presidential election ended on little use for a parliament. awareness in the nation of some 1.8m December 21st. In all, more than 20 people would begin soon, with registra- candidates are in the race. Among these Though reviled by Islamists and secular are Hamidou Bourhane, who was Speaker tion to kick off in January. (© AFP 7/12 dissidents who have not been spared the of the National Assembly until January 2015) crackdown on dissent, Sisi remains pop- 2015; former president Azali Assoumani, ular with many who say a strong man is Islamic Republic: On December 11th, who was Sambi’s predecessor, and also the mayor of the capital, Moroni, Mohamed needed at Egypt’s helm. President Jammeh declared the Gambia Daoud. (RFI, Paris 23/12) an Islamic republic to break from the Sisi, the former army chief who ousted nation’s colonial past. It does not Others are Assoumany Abdou, the former Mursi and then won presidential elec- appear that the announcement changes boss of the Meck (Mutual Savings Credit tions, had promised the parliamentary Union of Comoros] bank; Mmadi Ali Gambia’s laws or the country’s consti- election as the last stage in a return to (Ngazidja), Cheich Allaoui (Anjouan) and tutional status as a secular state. democracy. Said Attoumane (Mwali). (HZK-Presse, Jammeh made the declaration at a polit- Moroni 9/12) Sisi does not have a party, and had ical rally in the coastal village Brufut, refused to endorse any of the coalitions On December 28th, RFI reported that the nine miles west of the capital, Banjul. that contested the election, but he has Constitutional Court had invalidated the candidature of former president Ahmed called for a unified parliament. “In line with the country’s religious Abdallah Sambi for the presidential elec- identity and values, I proclaim Gambia The new parliament, as it is, is not likely tion. as an Islamic state,” the Gambian leader to challenge the President or repeal laws said. About 90% of Gambians people According to the French radio, the candi- he has passed in its absence. dature of the former head of state had are Muslim, around 8% are Christian been a subject of controversy for months Egyptian media outlets have reported and two percent are defined as having because of the rotation of the presidency that at least 80 members of the parlia- indigenous beliefs. between the islands of the archipelago. ment were members of Mubarak’s The court ruled that Abdallah Sambi Jammeh said the rights of Gambia’s National Democratic Party (NDP), could not run in the race as according to Christian community would be which was disbanded after his ouster in the rotation it was the turn of Grande respected. ”We will be an Islamic state the 2011 popular uprising. (© AFP 4/12 Comore to have a president. (RFI, Paris that would respect the rights of all 2015) 28/12) citizens and non-citizens.” The Arab League mission that followed The head of the country’s Islamic body the Egyptian parliamentary elections wouldn’t say if he endorsed the declaration. in voting that took place over more than submitted its final report on December six weeks. 21st. The fifty-page report comprises “We haven’t met yet to discuss over the notes and recommendations on the elec- presidential announcement,” said Gam- Voters cast ballots for 120 seats that toral process that includes a proposal to bia’s Supreme Islamic Council Chair- went to party lists and remaining seats establish a national authority for elec- man Imam Momodou Lamin Touray. for individual candidates. tions. The report notes the weak voter Hamat Bah of the opposition National All party list seats went to the For Love turnout, but says the polls still marked Reconciliation Party criticised the deci- of Egypt coalition, an alliance of parties an important step forward for the coun- sion. “There is a constitutional clause and groups that support President Abdel try. It praised the electoral process, its that says that Gambia is a secular state,” Fattah al-Sisi. organisation and transparency. (MENA he said. “You cannot make such a news agency, Cairo 21/12) Poll – part two The individual seats went to a mix of declaration without going through a p. 20778C party-affiliated candidates and indepen- referendum.” (AP 13/12) dents, Abbas said. Experts say the new 596-member parlia- NIGERIA THE GAMBIA ment is expected to have lawmakers who firmly back Sisi. Gubernatorial Re-runs Elections in December: The Gambia will The new parliament, which will convene hold presidential elections in December Voting in Bayelsa is marred by deadly on January 10th, will include 28 presi- 2016 with legislative polls scheduled for violence. dential appointees, with the rest elected four months later, the electoral commis- President Muhammadu Buhari’s ruling under the complex system of indepen- sion said on December 7th. party won the governorship in central dent candidates and party lists. AB C © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Journal

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural SeriesWiley

Published: Jan 1, 2016

There are no references for this article.