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The Comorians overwhelmingly voted by over 92 percent for a highly controversial constitutional reform that allows the president to run for a second consecutive term, according to the official results of a referendum held on Monday and boycotted by the opposition. 19659002] "I give you the results at the national level. Yes, 172,240 or 92.74%. No: 13,338, or 7.26%, "commission chairman Ahmed Mohamed Djaza told a news conference in Moroni.
Participation in the referendum organized in the small archipelago of the ocean Indian with a turbulent political history, is 63.9%, he added.
The opposition, which held the referendum "illegal", denounced a referendum made "to measure" for the president Azali Assoumani, a former coup leader elected in 2016 to the supreme office.
The reform plebiscite Monday strengthens its powers, allowing him to seek two terms of five consecutive years, against a single currently ..
The reform also removes the three posts of Vice-President and the Constitutional Court, highest judicial instance. It also makes Islam the "state religion" of this country of less than 800,000 inhabitants, 99% Muslim.
The opposition was not reachable immediately after the final announcement of the results, but in the day, while the "yes" was already largely in the lead, she had shouted "special effects".
"What results! A rigged vote, prefabricated figures, here is the popular consultation of President Azali, "reacted the secretary general of the Juwa party, Ahmed el-Barwane, questioned by AFP. A few minutes later, he was arrested by gendarmes while driving in Moroni, said his entourage.
The announcement of the results of the referendum did not provoke any reaction in the capital Moroni, which went to his usual occupations Tuesday evening.
The opposition, which denounces the "abuse of power" of Azali Assoumani for months (arrested opponents, leader under house arrest, Constitutional Court suspended), had decided not to campaign and called boycotting the polls.
In the many polling stations visited by AFP journalists on Monday, voters were scarce, often with less than a quarter of voters one hour before the end of the vote. 19659003] An observation shared by Eastern Force Observers of East Africa (EASF)
"In most of the offices visited, there were fewer than 20 voters waiting. But when we went back an hour later, we suddenly noticed an influx of ballots in the ballot box, "told AFP Jules Hoareau of the mission of the EASF. "It does not make sense," he added.
He also denounced the fact that "in all the offices visited" by EASF, "party representatives were not allowed to sign the minutes ", which puts" in doubt the credibility of the electoral process. "
– No" apocalypse "-
The ballot was generally held in calm. Only one serious incident was reported in Moroni, where urns were destroyed in two polling stations and a gendarme seriously wounded.
"The apocalypse did not take place," said state newspaper Al -Watan in his editorial Tuesday.
President Azali, 59 years old and whose term expires in 2021, warned that in case of victory of "yes," early elections would be held in 2019.
Now that his reform has been passed, he will be able, if he wins the election, to remain in power until 2029.
The referendum changes the frequency of the rotating presidency in force since 2001, which has stabilized the Comoros , theater of many coups and separatist crises since its independence from France in 1975.
The Constitution established a presidency every five years between the three islands forming the Union of the Comoros (Great Comoros, Moheli andAnjouan).
At the end of his five-year term, the president could not run again immediately. He had to wait for it to be his island's turn to run for supreme office again. After the adoption of the referendum, this provision was dropped.
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