The document summarizes the government system of Comoros. It is a federal presidential republic made up of three main islands and a rotating presidency between them. Each island has some autonomy over local matters while being part of the larger union government. The president is both head of state and government, appointing ministers and promulgating laws. The unicameral parliament introduces and passes laws. Elections occur every five years for both the presidency and parliament.

1. April 6,
2020
The Government System of Comoros
theweeklyrambler.com/the-government-system-of-comoros/
The Comoros is a volcanic archipelago
found off the coast of East Africa
between Mozambique and the island
of Madagascar in the Mozambique
Channel. The Comoros capital city is
Moroni which is located on the
central-western coast of the largest
island, Grande Comore.
The islands were first inhabited by
Austronesian and Bantu speakers
with Arab migration also coming to
the islands. The islands were self-
ruled with the largest island having a
number of small autonomous
kingdoms. The islands were heavily
influence by the Sultanate of Oman.
The French would eventually arrive on
the island of Mayotte which would be ceded to them and they would eventually gain the
other islands into the French Colonial Empire by-way of sultans on the islands asking for
French protection, one of which enabled a sultan on the largest island to rule all of that
island, until their abdication in 1910. 2-years before that the islands, including Mayotte,
had been unified under one administration under the authority of the French colonial
governor-general of Madagascar, then in 1912 the protectorates and colony was
abolished and brought in as a province of the colony of Madagascar.
After some time an agreement would be reached with France for independence, a
referendum was held where three of the four islands voted to be independent, with
Mayotte voting against and remaining under the rule of France, which was confirmed in a
further referendum, although the Comoros still disputes and claims the island, calling its
administration by France an “occupation”. They have gone as far as to include provisions
to do with Mayotte in the nation’s constitution which will take effect as soon as Mayotte
becomes officially under the Union of Comoros.
After the Comoros got independence it went through a major period of political
instability and turmoil including a range of coups and leader assassinations. In 1997, the
two smaller islands, Anjouan and Moheli attempted to declare independence from the
Comoros in a bid to restore French rule, which France rejected and would lead to bloody
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2. clashes between federal troops and rebels. As the current President Azali at the time
struggled to consolidate powers over the islands, eventually a deal was made to have
Comoros become the Union of Comoros with more autonomy for each island and under
a rotating-presidency union government.
In 2001 Colonel Mohammed Bacar seized control of the island of Anjouan as President
and staged a vote to accept his leadership, which was rejected by Comoros and the
African Union, leading to an invasion of the island by the Comoros and other forces
under the African Union, leading to Bacar fleeing to the French and where he was
eventually expelled to Benin, at the anger of the Comoros government.
The country’s official languages are French, Arabic and Comorian (which is a group of
four Bantu languages spoken on the islands). The largest ethnic group is Afro-Arab and
the largest religion is Sunni Islam. The country’s currency is the Comorian franc. The
country’s population is estimated to reach 846,281 by July 2020.
Government Type
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3. Seal of the Comoros
The islands are a federal presidential republic which allows each island to have a degree
of autonomy including their own legislative assemblies and government led by an
elected Governor, while being overlooked by a union government with a rotating-
presidency (rotates through the three-islands, although a President on the same island
can be elected a 2 time), each island must still follow the country’s constitution and not
come into conflict with federal legislation and power. Multiple parties are allowed.
Local island government has exclusive power over economic planning; social
development; development of island territory; acquisition of assets for island needs;
tourism promotion, environment and the islands historic patrimony; traditional fishing;
agriculture and animal husbandry, excluding policies and research; road maintenance
and fairs and markets.
Along with consultation of the union government, the island governments can act on
matters such as administration of Local Collectives; management of pre-school, primary
and secondary teaching establishments and personnel; basic local professional training;
nd
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4. study grant allocations and the construction, equipping, maintenance and management
of the establishments and personnel of basic health.
Executive Government
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5. Azali Assoumani – current President of Comoros. Source.
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6. The union President is both Head of State and Head of the Federal/Union Government.
In such a capacity the union President as Head of State represents the islands nation
abroad through diplomatic and foreign affairs. The President appoints and accredits
ambassadors and envoys. The President negotiates and ratifies treaties.
The President is also Commander-in-Chief of the country’s armed forces. The President
appoints the civil and military positions. The President is responsible for foreign
defense.
The President has the power to pardon from crime.
As Head of Union Government the President appoints ministers to the Council of
Ministers and other members of the Government, able to appoint a maximum of
fifteen.
The President promulgates laws passed by the union’s unicameral parliament, but the
President can choose to return a law bill back that they do not agree with or think should
be changed in-whole or in-part. If passed by an absolute majority with no changes the
President must promulgate it.
Under extraordinary circumstances and with consultation of the Council of Ministers,
President of the Assembly of the Union and of the Supreme Court, the President can be
granted exceptional emergency powers to deal with the situation. The Assembly of the
Union (union’s legislative assembly) can terminate these emergency powers by a two-
third vote. The President is unable to dissolve the parliament during the usage of
emergency powers.
If the President position becomes vacant or who was holding the position has a
permanent impairment preventing them from carrying out their duty within 900 days
of investiture of the President’s mandate, as declared by the Supreme Court, the
Government will appoint a Minister or other member of Government as Prime Minister,
serving as an interim leader until a new President is elected. The interim position has
limited powers.
If the vacancy/permanent impairment happens after the 900-day period then the
Governor of the island that the President was elected from will carry out the presidency
for the remainder of the mandate. The duties of the said Governor will be fulfilled by the
Secretary-General of the Governorship.
The constitution says that the President is the guarantor of judicial independence and is
assisted by the Superior Council of the Magistrate, but it does not clearly state how the
judges are chosen and that an institutional act decides on this. It does say that judges
are irremovable. The composition of the Superior Council of the Magistrate is also not
clearly presented.
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7. The President can be charged for High Treason with a trial held by the Supreme Court
but again such composition is decided by an Institutional Act or Organic law and not
clearly stated. How the President can be charged for high treason is also not clearly
stated.
Legislative Government
The Parliament is located in the capital, Moroni. Photo byWoodlouse from Flickr. License.
The Assembly of the Union is the unicameral chamber of legislative government for the
Union of the Comoros, introducing laws, debating them, amending them and passing
them. An extraordinary session of the parliament can be called by the President or by
absolute majority of members, on a particular subject of great importance. The
Government and members can both introduce bills, although member bills must be
reviewed by the government before introduction.
Bills receive a 1st Reading by commissions set up by agreed upon internal regulations of
the assembly.
Organic and finance laws require a two-third vote to pass. If a finance bill has not been
passed within sixty days then the provisions of the bill may be brought into force by
decree of the President. On the passing of Organic Laws, the Supreme Court will make a
decision if they conform with the country’s constitution.
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8. The Assembly of the Union currently has 33-members a part of it. Members will elect the
President of the Assembly of the Union for the duration of the Assembly’s tenure. The
President of the Assembly moderates debate and makes sure that Assembly rules are
followed. The President of the Assembly can be challenged by members through a
motion of disapproval. It requires the signing of at least half of the members composing
the Assembly and requires a two-third vote to pass, another motion cannot be brought
for a year following.
Electoral System
A Presidential election happens every 5-years and rotates between the three islands,
with each incumbent able to be re-elected one time on the same island before it rotates.
The election uses a two-round system where a candidate requires an absolute majority
in the first round to win outright, otherwise a 2 round is held between the top two
candidates which is won by simple majority.
Presidential candidates must be a Comorian citizen from birth on the island that the
rotation falls on. They must have the status of elector and be at least 35-years or older
and must have been living on the island for at least 12-months prior to the election. A
nd
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9. Comorian on an island where the rotation falls although not having been born on that
island can still run for president there if they have lived there for at least 10-years.
Parliamentary elections happen every 5-years to elect the 33-members of the Assembly
of the Union. 24 of these members are elected from single-seat constituencies using a
two-round system where a candidate requires an absolute majority to win in the first
round, otherwise a second round is held between the top two, won by simple majority.
The other 9-members are elected by the islands legislative assemblies, three per island.
To vote in elections one must be a citizen of Comoros and be at least 18-years-old. Voting
is not mandatory.
Source
My source was from the 2018 revision of the country’s constitution compiled by
constitute.org, but of which is limited and not extensive and so required some further
research from the previous revision (2001 through 2009). Further information from CIA
World Factbook Comoros entry. I strongly suggest those using this seriously to cross-
research as I found that the constitution lacked sufficient information and so this may
not be as complete as I would have liked, although it is the best I could get it. As well as
that there is a chance I mis-interpreted some things. And of course, the constitution can
be further changed.
Constitutional change can be requested by the President or by at least one-third of the
members of the Assembly of the Union. The amendment/revision/change must be
adopted by at least three-quarters of the total number of members of the Assembly of
the Union or by National Referendum.
Next up will be the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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