Comoros starts voting in partial presidential polls re-run

Security was tightened on Wednesday in Comoros as 13 polling stations returned to the polls in a partial re-run of the presidential election. Polling stations were open from 7 am on Wednesday, which had been declared a public holiday.

Riot police were deployed in the island of Anjouan, after the second round of presidential elections held on April 10 were marred by irregularities and violence.

Comoros: 3 candidates to contest in April 10 run-off https://t.co/gYdTatdgEP

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Some 6,300 Comorians will cast their ballots, in a decisive vote decisive, as only 2,000 votes separate the two candidates, Colonel Assoumani and Mohamed Ali Soilihi.

After a short campaign period of seven days, the winner of this election will be installed as the president on may 26 for a single term of five years.

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.