Ongoing squabbles over power sharing agreement

A senior Comoran official on Monday downplayed concerns that political wrangling over the implementation of a power-sharing agreement was threatening political stability. Federal government spokesman Houmed M'Saidie said parliamentarians were working on resolving the confusion surrounding control of the defence and key state assets portfolios between the three islands and federal government Political leaders in the archipelago have been at loggerheads over the control of key government ministries since a February 2001 agreement, aimed at bringing stability to the coup-prone islands, was brokered by the Organisation for African Unity. The latest standoff was sparked by the introduction of a government-backed draft bill last week, which, opposition parties claimed, failed to adhere to an earlier agreement that would make each of the autonomous islands responsible for their own defence. As part of a complex devolution process, Moheli, Anjouan and Grande Comore each have their own president and govern most of their own affairs. In addition, a federal president and parliament sit on the largest island, Grande Comore. "The disagreement is normal and is a sign that we are able to hold different opinions. But the initial [2001] agreement was quite vague, and we are now faced with trying to clarify the details of that arrangement," M'Saidie told IRIN. According to the weekly Al Watwan newspaper, opposition politicians were irked that the bill had been amended by the federal government without consultation, and that Federal President Azali Assoumani had side-stepped demands for each island to manage its own security. In local elections held earlier this year, parties aligned to the archipelago's three regional presidents trounced Assoumani supporters. Opposition parties now hold the majority of seats in the 33-member national parliament.