The African Union (AU) on Friday disclosed that the former President of Rwandan Senate, Bernard Makuza, has headed to Comoros’s capital Moroni as the Head of the AU Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) to the country, which is scheduled for Sunday.
The former President of Rwandan Senate is leading a 40-member AU election observers’ mission to Comoros, which is composed of ambassadors from the Permanent Representatives’ Committee of the AU, parliamentarians from the Pan-African Parliament, election administrators, civil society, independent electoral experts and academic institutions, said in a statement obtained by APA in Kigali.
The deployment of 40 short-term observers, which will observe the integrity of Comoros’ parliamentary elections was approved by the AU Commission Chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat, upon an invitation from the government of Comoros, it was noted.
Comorians will vote in the first round of nationwide legislative elections on Sunday, January 19.
These elections are the second legislative elections in the nation’s history.
However, reports say that political tensions are high on the archipelago; the country saw several coups since the nation’s independence in 1975.
Opposition parties have announced they will boycott the elections. Associated political and opposition rallies and gatherings are therefore to be expected.
A second round is expected to take place on Sunday, February 23.
It is expected that the AU observation mission is expected to issue its Preliminary Statement based on its observation of Comoros’ upcoming elections after the close of polls, and its final report within two months after the elections, it said.
CU/abj/APA