Voting begins for Comoros’ presidential election  – Gulf Times

TOPSHOT – A supporter of incumbent Comoros President and presidential candidate for the Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros (CRC) party, Azali Assoumani, poses for a picture while holding a portrait of Assoumani during the last rally ahead of the presidential elections in Moroni, on January 12, 2024. Voters in the Comoros choose a new president on January 14, 2024 with incumbent Azali Assoumani, who has already extended his time in office through constitutional change, voicing confidence of winning a third consecutive term against a divided opposition. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP)

Voters in the Comoros began Sunday casting their ballots in presidential election that is widely expected to hand President Azali Assoumani a fourth five-year term.

Assoumani is competing in the elections with five opponents, while other opposition leaders called for a boycott.

Voting opened across the Indian Ocean archipelago Sunday morning and closes at 6:00 pm, with 338,940 eligible registered voters out of a population of 800,000.

Comoros changed its constitution in June 2018 to remove a requirement that the presidency rotate among its three main islands every five years, which allowed Assoumani to seek re-election

Provisional results are expected on Friday, according to the election commission. (QNA)