Country name:
conventional long form: Union of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros
local short form: Comores
local long form: Union des Comores
Government type:
independent republic
Capital:
Moroni
Administrative divisions:
3 islands; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli
(Mwali); note - there are also four municipalities named Domoni,
Fomboni, Moroni, and Moutsamoudou
Independence:
6 July 1975 (from France)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 6 July (1975)
Constitution:
23 December 2001
note: a Transitional National Unity Government (GUNT) was formed on
20 January 2002 following the passing of the new constitution; the
GUNT governed until the presidential elections on 14 April 2002
Legal system:
French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002); note
- following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in January
2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002
presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was
appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI in May
2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External Defense and
Territorial Security; the president is both the chief of state and
the head of government
election results: President AZALI Assoumani elected president with
75% of the vote
elections: as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency
rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three
main islands in the Union; election last held 14 April 2002 (next to
be held NA April 2007); prime minister appointed by the president;
note - AZALI has not appointed a Prime Minister since he was sworn
into office in May 2002
head of government: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002);
note - following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in
January 2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002
presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was
appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI in May
2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External Defense and
Territorial Security; the president is both the chief of state and
the head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the Union (30 seats; half the deputies are
selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the other
half by universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years) note -
elections for the former legislature, the Federal Assembly,
dissolved in 1999, where held on 1 and 8 December 1996; the next
elections for the Assembly of the Union were scheduled to be held in
April 2003 but have yet to occur
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by the
president, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one elected
by the Council of each island, and others are former presidents of
the republic)
Political parties and leaders:
Forces pour l'Action Republicaine or FAR [Col. Abdourazak
ABDULHAMID]; Forum pour la Redressement National or FRN (alliance of
12 parties); Front Democratique or FD [Moustoifa Said CHEIKH]; Front
National pour la Justice or FNJ (Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed
RACHID]; Movement des Citoyens pour la Republique or MCR [Mahamoud
MRADABI]; Mouvement Populaire Anjouanais or MPA (Anjouan separatist
movement) [leader NA]; Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress
or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Movement pour le Socialisme et la
Democratie or MSD (splinter group of FD) [Abdou SOEFOU]; Parti
Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE];
Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND (party of the
government) [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO,
ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO,
IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory),
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mahmoud M. ABOUD (ambassador to the US
and Canada and permanent representative to the UN)
chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of the Union of
the Comoros to the United Nations, 420 East 50th Street, New York,
NY 10022
telephone: [1] (212) 972-8010 and 223-2711
FAX: [1] (212) 983-4712 and 715-0699
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to
Mauritius is accredited to Comoros
Flag description:
four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and blue
with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist; centered within
the triangle is a white crescent with the convex side facing the
hoist and four white, five-pointed stars placed vertically in a line
between the points of the crescent; the horizontal bands and the
four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago -
Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of
France, but claimed by Comoros); the crescent, stars, and color
green are traditional symbols of Islam