US urges Comoros to clarify disputed election results

The United States on Friday called on the Comoros to clarify the results of this week’s disputed presidential elections, which have been followed by deadly protests.

President Azali Assoumani, a former military ruler, won re-election with 62.97 percent on Sunday, in what opposition leaders have denounced as a fraudulent vote.

The US embassy in the Indian Ocean island nation said the results announced by the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) “raised serious concerns that must be addressed to maintain the peace and the well-being of the nation”.

“We call on the CENI, and Comoran authorities, to ensure full transparency and clarify the results it announced,” the embassy said.

Assoumani’s victory is expected to be confirmed by the supreme court at the weekend.

But the opposition has demanded the election be declared void, pointing out that the unexpectedly low 16 percent turnout figure in the presidential vote falls far short of the figure for parallel governor polls.

According to the official tally, 189,497 Comorans voted to choose governors for each of the three islands in the archipelago, but only 55,258 cast a vote for president.

The US embassy said the disparity “was not apparent to domestic and international elections observers”.

The Comoros capital Moroni has been paralysed by two days of running street-battles between stone-throwing youths and armed soldiers, and at least one person was fatally wounded, according to medics.

But a call by the defeated opposition candidates for a mass protest went unheeded Friday, confronted by a heavy security presence.