Tensions between political parties in the Comoros were set to heighten following a "surprise" decision by Union President Azali Assoumani this week to postpone the opening of the national assembly. The establishment of the federal assembly was expected to resolve the impasse between political leaders and pave the way towards permanent stability in the troubled Indian Ocean archipelago. "Officially we were told that the 27 May inauguration ceremony could not happen because it was inconvenient for international representatives. But after we investigated, we found that the international community here in Moroni were also surprised about the postponement," Grande Comore cabinet director, Abdallah Halifa, told IRIN. Assoumani suffered a setback in last month's parliamentary elections when parties aligned to the archipelago's three regional presidents gained the majority of seats in the national assembly. "We will approach international organisations and request that Assoumani be forced to schedule the opening of the assembly in the very near future," Halifa said. Under a February 2001 agreement, brokered by the Organisation for African Unity to bring stability to the coup-prone country, each of the islands - Grande Comore, Moheli and Anjouan - have their own president and legislature, with a federal president and parliament on the largest island, Grande Comore.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
