Comoros Government - 2006

Country name:
conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros
local long form: Union des Comores
local short form: Comores

Government type:
independent republic

Capital:
Moroni

Administrative divisions:
3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli (Mwali), Moroni*, Moutsamoudou*

Independence:
6 July 1975 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 July (1975)

Constitution:
23 December 2001

Legal system:
French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002); note - following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in January 2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002 presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI in May 2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External Defense and Territorial Security; the president is both the chief of state and the head of government
head of government: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002); note - following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in January 2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002 presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI in May 2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External Defense and Territorial Security; the president is both the chief of state and the head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three main islands in the Union; election last held 14 April 2002 (next to be held 14 May 2006); prime minister appointed by the president; note - AZALI has not appointed a Prime Minister since he was sworn into office in May 2002
election results: President AZALI Assoumani elected president with 75% of the vote

Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the 18 by universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years);
elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CdIA 12, CRC 6; note - 15 additional seats are filled by deputies from local island assemblies

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by the president, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one elected by the Council of each island, and others are former presidents of the republic)

Political parties and leaders:
Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros [AZALI Assowmani]; Camp of the Autonomous Islands (a coalition of parties organized by the island Presidents in opposition to the Union President); Front National pour la Justice or FNJ (Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed RACHID]; Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Representative to the US and Ambassador to the UN Mahmoud M. ABOUD
chancery: Mission to the US, 336 East 45th Street (2nd floor), New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 750-1637

Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros