The president of Comoros says he plans to transfer power to his son

For the first time, Comoros President Azali Assoumani has officially said that he plans to transfer power to his son Nour El Fath upon his departure in 2029, so validating the claims of his detractors that he has been preparing his son for succession for a long time.

El Fath was tasked by Assoumani, whose reelection a year ago was marred by accusations of voter fraud, to oversee government activities and was given broad authority over the cabinet.

At an address to supporters on the island of Moheli on Thursday, Assoumani made reference to the day he will step down, saying, “I will place my son to replace me as head of the state and the party.”

El Fath has previously stated that Comoros, a group of three islands in the Indian Ocean off East Africa, is not a monarchy, but he did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Reuters.

Opposition parties either boycotted the poll or disputed the results, citing fraud, but Assoumani’s governing party won legislative elections last month with a resounding victory.

“With this statement, he has only made official what we already knew,” the opposition coalition’s spokesperson, Abdallah Mohamed Daoudou, expressed.

“But Azali is deluding himself, the Comorian people and politicians will not accept the installation of a dynastic power or a monarchy in the Comoros,” Daoudou said to Reuters.

Comoros is home to around 800,000 people. With its independence from France in 1975, it has seen about 20 coups or attempted coups.

After taking power in a coup in 1999, Assoumani has won four elections since 2002.

The requirement that the president alternate between the three main islands every five years be increased to ten years by constitutional amendments in 2018.

At the conclusion of his presidency in 2029, El Fath would thus be unable to succeed his father unless the constitution were altered once more.