COMOROS
Parliamentary Chamber: Assemblée fédérale

ELECTIONS HELD IN 1993

<<< Return to the Historical Archive page of parliamentary election results for COMOROS <<<

Chamber:
  Assemblée fédérale


Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):

  12 and 20 December 1993
Comments:
  Due to electoral irregularities, the elections were repeated on 26 December on Anjouan island and in Moroni.


Purpose of elections:

  Elections were held to fill all the seats in the Federal Assembly following the premature dissolution of that body on 18 June 1993. Parliamentary elections were last held in November 1992.


Background and outcome of elections:

  On 18 June 1993, President of the Republic Said Moahamed Djohar, in response to a motion of censure against the Government tabled by the opposition, dissolved the Federal Assembly and announced that elections would be held within 40 days as stipulated by the Constitution. Subsequently, the elections were postponed several times, despite pressure from opposition parties for them to take place within the specified time limit.

The run-up to the elections was characterised by tension between the Government and the opposition over the former’s refusal to establish an independent electoral commission to oversee the elections and to repeal the controversial ordinance carving out new electoral boundaries, among other contentious issues. In the end, a new National Electoral Commission was appointed which included representatives of the opposition.

The first round of the elections took place on 12 December in a peaceful atmosphere, although turnout was poor. The four seats allotted following this first round were won by opposition candidates.

The second round, which was to take place on 19 December, was postponed by 24 hours, to 20 December. Polling was marked by several reports of violence which left at least two people dead on Anjouan. Opposition candidates protested against the manner in which the balloting had been organised and accused local government authorities of tampering with the voting and the results. Some opposition candidates withdrew from the contest prior to the poll and contradictory results were published by the electoral commission and the Ministry of the Interior. Due to violence, the results were invalidated in several constituencies on Anjouan and Moroni. Repeat elections were organised in these constituencies on 26 December.

The official results published on 30 December showed that the Rally for Democracy and Renewal (RDR), a party formed by President Djohar in October to contest the elections, had obtained an absolute majority in the Assembly. The remaining seats were won by candidates of eight other parties. The opposition groups protested against this outcome and threatened to boycott the proceedings of the Assembly.

On 2 January 1994, President Djohar appointed the Secretary General of the RDR, Mr. Mohamed Abdou Madi, as Prime Minister. On 4 January, the latter announced a new 12-member Cabinet.

STATISTICS

Round no 1: Distribution of seats  
Political Group Total
Rally for Democracy and Renewal (RDR) 28
National Union for Democracy in the Comoros (UNDC) 4
Comoran Popular Front-Rally for Triumph and Democracy (FPC-RTD) 2
Movement for Democracy and Progress (MDP-NGDC) 2
Comoran union for Progress (UDZIMA) 2
Comoran Party for Democracy and Progress (PCDP-DJAMNAZI) 1
Rally for Change and Democracy-Rally for Triumph and Democracy (RASHAD-RTD) 1
UWEZO-RTD 1
Island’s Fraternity and Unity Party (CHUMA) 1

Distribution of seats according to sex:  
Men: 42
Women: 0


<<< Return to the Historical Archive page of parliamentary election results for COMOROS <<<

Copyright © 1993 Inter-Parliamentary Union