Comoros president Assoumani announces plans to hand power to son
President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani has publicly announced that he intends to hand power to his son Nour El Fath when he leaves office in 2029, confirming accusations from critics that he has been grooming his heir to ensure power stays in the family.
Assoumani was elected president for a third consecutive term a year ago, following a disputed election in which his opponents made accusations of voter fraud.
He cannot run again in 2029, but has already begun preparing his succession, telling his supporters on Thursday that when the time comes for him to leave power, "I will place my son to replace me as head of the state and the party".
Last October he put his son El Fath in charge of coordinating government affairs and granted him sweeping powers over the cabinet.
"Azali has handed his son presidential and constitutional prerogatives," Said Larifou, a lawyer and politician in exile, told RFI at the time. "He has clearly concentrated all the powers and governance of the Comoros to his family."
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El Fath has yet to respond to the latest announcement, but previously said that Comoros – a group of three islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa – is not a monarchy.
Assoumani's ruling party decisively won parliamentary elections this month, however only 16 percent of registered voters turned out after opposition parties called for a boycott.
(with Reuters)
Read more on RFI English
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