Africa Union appeals for peace ahead of Comoros poll re-run

The African Union Chairperson, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has appealed for calm before, during and after the re-run of the May 11 elections in Comoros island.

A statement issued by Zuma said that the Chairperson respects the decision of the Constitutional Court which declared that the re-run of elections be conducted in the 13 polling stations which encountered some electoral irregularities during the second round of the presidential elections held last month.

While ordering the re-run, the constitutional court said more than 6,000 people had been prevented from voting.

Zuma has approved the deployment of African Union election observers to accompany the people of the Union of the Comoros in this process, a statement from the AU said.

#AU Commission Chair DlaminiZuma approves
deployment of #Election Expert Observer Mission to
the 11 May 2016 re-run elections in #Comoros.

— Jacob Enoh Eben (enoheben) May 6, 2016

Assoumani,a former President, took 40.98 percent of the vote, narrowly ahead of Vice President Mohamed Ali Soilihi, the ruling party’s presidential candidate, who picked up 39.87 percent.

The three islands that make up the Comoros – Anjouan, Grand Comore and Moheli – have a total population of just under 800,000 people, nearly all of whom are Sunni Muslims.