By Aboubacar M'Changama
Moroni - President Azali Assoumani of the Union of the Comoros suffered a crushing defeat in legislative polls held in the Indian Ocean islands at the weekend, according to provisional results released on Monday by the electoral commission.
After Sunday's second round run-off elections for new assemblies in the country's three automous islands, Azali's supporters will end up with a maximum of about 10 seats out of a total of 55, corroborating sources said.
A vast majority was won by supporters of the islands' own presidents, who saw the elections as a battle for their autonomy, which they accuse Azali's federal governement of trying to undermine.
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| 'Azali has only won four seats on Grande Comore' |
On the largest isle, Grande Comore, 11 of the assembly's 20 seats were won on Sunday by supporters of island President Abdou Soule Elbak, who had already won three in the first round held on March 17.
"For now, Colonel Azali has only won four seats on Grande Comore," Ynoussa Assoumani, finance minister in the island's government, said.
On Anjouan, only two of the assembly's 25 seats were won by candidates supporting Azali while the majority of the others went to supporters of Anjouan President Mohamed Bacar.
On Moheli, where the parliament has just 10 seats, "Azali only got one," according to Elarif Hamidi, the chief of staff in the local government. The other nine were won by supporters of island President Mohamed Said Fazul.
Sunday's voting on Grande Comore was marred by violence, with four polling stations being smashed by a 50-man gang involved with a defeated pro-Azali candidate, who was later arrested.
| Voting on Grande Comore was marred by violence |
These polls and those for a federal assembly due next month are the first of their kind since a new Union of Comoros took shape in 2001.
The islands off east Africa have been gripped by political crises since 1997, when Anjouan and Moheli unilaterally seceeded.
The polls are designed to deliver stability to a very poor country that has suffered 19 coups or attempted coups since it won independence from France in 1975, stability that is seen as crucial to any chances of sustainable development.
It was one of these successful coups that first brought Azali to power in 1999. In 2002 he won the election for the Union presidency, which opposition candidates boycotted at the last minute.
Asked last week to comment on fears expressed by Comorans that he might take drastic action if these legislative polls went against him, Azali said there was no cause for such alarm.
Losing "won't be a problem. That's democracy," he said.
"How can I not respect the constitution? I spent years fighting for this constitution," he added, referring to the basic law adopted in December 2001 that granted the islands autonomy.
A Ratification Commission was expected to release final results of the legislative polls later Monday. - Sapa-AFP
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