COMOROS
Parliamentary Chamber: Assemblée fédérale

ELECTIONS HELD IN 1992

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Chamber:
  Assemblée fédérale


Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):

  22 November 1992
29 November 1992
Comments:
  Due to electoral irregularities, by-elections also took place on 13 and 20 December.


Purpose of elections:

  Elections were held to fill all the seats in a new Federal Assembly to suit the new multiparty context. Parliamentary elections were last held in March 1987.


Background and outcome of elections:

  The elections were the first multiparty parliamentary elections in the country since it unilaterally declared independence from France in 1975.

A national conference held from January to April 1992 had agreed on a new Constitution and an electoral calendar providing for a constitutional referendum in May, followed by legislative elections in June and local government elections in July. However, polling was postponed a number of times until President of the Republic Säid Mohamed Djohar finally announced in October 1992 that they would take place in late November.

The situation prevailing in the country just before the elections was one of political instability and serious economic and financial crisis. President Djohar, who had taken over following the assassination of former President Ahmed Abdallah in 1989, had been ruling for six months by ordinance. He had, moreover, reshuffled the Government six times in two years. In August 1991, the Supreme Court had tried unsuccessfully to dismiss him. In September 1992, a coup had failed and in mid-October there had been a rebellion among the military. On the social front, civil service workers had been without salaries for three to five months and students were continuing their protracted strike as a result of disagreement over the Government’s educational policies.

The Federal Assembly seats were contested by some 22 political associations which fielded approximately 320 candidates. Two major opposition parties – the formerly ruling Union for Progress (UDZIMA) and the National Union for Democracy in the Comoros – called for a boycott because of the Government’s refusal to update voting lists and its continued detention of major political figures, among other reasons.

Polling day was marked by a low turnout and marred by irregularities and violent incidents which caused voting to be cancelled in a number of constituencies including Moroni, the capital. As a result, only 36 seats were filled during the two rounds of 22 and 29 November. The electoral commission decided to hold subsequent by-elections in the six other constituencies. No single party secured an overall majority. The Union of Democrats for Development (UDD) won the most seats (7). Seven seats went to independent candidates while several smaller parties picked up the remainder. In all, the political configuration of the new Assembly gave 25 opposition members and 17 pro-government members.

On 1 January 1993, President Djohar appointed a Prime Minister (a new post) in the person of Mr. Halidi Abderamane Ibrahim, leader of the UDD. The latter then appointed a Government comprising 11 Ministers and 1 secretary of state, on 6 January.

On 19 June, the Federal Assembly was dissolved following a motion of censure against the Government; new general elections were scheduled to be held in October or November 1993.

STATISTICS

Round no 1: Distribution of seats  
Political Group Total
Union of Democrats for Development (UDD) 7
Chuma 3
Popular Democratic Movement (MDP) 3
Mayesha Bora 3
Comoran Party for Democracy and Progress (PCDP) 3
Comoros Popular Front (FPC) 2
Independents 7
Other parties 14


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Copyright © 1992 Inter-Parliamentary Union