Comoros President, Azali Assoumani has bestowed to his son, Nour El Fath, sweeping new powers that will allow him to intervene in the government decision making at all stages.
This is coming after the President had put him in charge of organising government affairs in July.
Assoumani, aged 65, whose re-election in January was marred by claims of voter fraud, has been accused by his opponents in the Indian Ocean nation of preparing his son to replace him when his tenure expires in 2029.
He has yet to react to these allegations.
Going by a presidential decree, in his new role, El Fath’s authority will include appraising ministers and intervening at all stages of the execution of government decisions.
The 40-year old had previously worked as a senior economic adviser to Assoumani from 2019 before he took up the position of the secretary general of the government on July 1.
Comoros is a country made up of a group of three islands off the coast of Mozambique. It has a population of about 800,000 and has witnessed around 20 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975.
President Assoumani had first come to power in 1999 through a coup and has gone on win four elections since 2002.
For the controversy of El Fath being able to replace his father at the end of the presidential term in 2029, it won’t be possible unless the constitution were changed again.
This is because constitutional reforms in 2018 had extended a requirement for the presidency to rotate among the three main islands in the country from every five years to now every 10 years.
What They’re Saying
A Franco-Comorian political commentator and lawyer, Saïd Larifou had said;
“There is no doubt that Colonel Azali Assoumani, by granting presidential and constitutional prerogatives to his son, is preparing the latter to succeed him.”
On the other hand, Government spokesperson, Fatima Hamada said that the presidential decree clarified and formalised El Fath’s authority as secretary general.
