COMOROS-LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS POSTPONED BY ONE WEEK

UNCLAS ANTANANARIVO 000750


DEPT ALSO FOR AF/E MARIA BEYZEROV

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL CN
SUBJECT: COMOROS-LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS POSTPONED BY ONE WEEK


1. Summary: The Comoran government and opposition have agreed to
hold the scheduled legislative elections a week later than initially
planned. "The first round will take place on December 6 instead of
November 29 and the second round on December 20 instead of December
13," according to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (CENI),Saendou Dajant. End Summary


2. The postponement follows a decision last week by the Comoran
Constitutional Court invalidating certain articles of the electoral
law decreed by President Sambi. The Court rejected over ten
articles of that law, but at the same time noted that these articles
were not essential to the preparation of the elections, which the
Court felt could therefore go ahead as planned. The Court's
decision also required the members of the CENI to be re-sworn in
before the Constitutional Court rather than before the Court of
Appeals (as they had done).


3. Following the Court's decision, a technical commission of jurists
from both sides was created, and this commission hammered out the
necessary changes in the electoral law that would allow the
elections to proceed. President Sambi then issued a new decree
containing the new dates and provisions.


4. COMMENT: These developments have two main consequences. First,
by disallowing several articles of President Sambi's original
electoral law, it allowed the opposition to claim a victory in their
on-going dispute with the President concerning the conditions under
which the elections would take place. This dispute had grown more
prickly in recent weeks, and was even threatening to lead to an
opposition boycott of the legislative polls. The court decision
(and subsequent arrangements) offered the opposition a way to save
face and thereby insure their full participation in the legislative
elections. As these elections are of capital importance for the
political future of the country, it is to everyone's advantage that
they proceed with the full support of all parties involved. Second,
on a more practical note, the delay will allow a little more time
for donors (who are providing the bulk of the election financing) to
get the necessary approvals through their various bureaucracies so
that funds will arrive in Moroni in a timely fashion. END COMMENT.

MARQUARDT