Several people have been arrested in Comoros after a reported “failed coup attempt”. The alleged coup attempt is coming days after a constitutional referendum.
The referendum was to extend the presidential term limit in Comoros. That also provides the opportunity for President Azali Assoumani to extend his stay in office.
Officials said among those arrested are soldiers and a prominent author, Said Ahmed Said Tourqui.
The suspects have been called “a very impressive enterprise of terrorists”.
Controversy over referendum
The referendum result which was ‘Yes’ ends a system of rotating power among the archipelago’s three main islands.
The constitution until the referendum provides for the presidency to rotate every five years among candidates from the country’s three main islands.
This was to promote stability and power-sharing in the country.
Majority of citizens in Comoros voted yes allowing President Assoumani to run for two more five year-terms.
The President will contest next year’s early election without requiring to step down end his current tenure in 2021.
Azali Asoumani has said that the the rotation system is not effective and makes it difficult to execute long term projects.
The opposition has rejected the July 30 referendum and demanded the restoration of the constitutional court.
President Assoumani who is a former military officer, seized power in a coup in 1999. He was re-elected in 2016 after serving an elected term as president from 2002-2006.
Source: Africafeeds.com
