Former coup leader Azali Assoumani was elected as president of Comoros, according to provisional results released Thursday, after last month’s election was partially re-run due to violence and “irregularities”. In the re-run at 13 polling stations, Assoumani beat Vice President Mohamed Ali Soilihi by 2,271 votes to 1,308, the electoral commission said, confirming his narrow victory in April. Two percent of the electorate were able to vote again Wednesday on Anjouan, one of the three main islands of the archipelago nation set off the east coast of Africa. Hundreds of people waited in line during the day as armed security forces stood guard to ensure polling was smooth. Last month, voting on Anjouan was tarnished by broken ballot boxes, interruptions in voting, accusations of ballot stuffing and some incidents of violence.
“I am very satisfied,” Assoumani, who was president from 1999 to 2006, told AFP after the provisional count.
Soilihi, who is known as Mamadou, made no immediate comment.
His spokesman said that his campaign remained confident of securing victory when the Constitutional Court releases the official result.
The provisional result was announced after tear gas was used overnight to disperse some Assoumani supporters.
Full Article: Former coup leader elected Comoros president: provisional results.