Comoros President Azali Assoumani has granted extensive new powers to his son, Nour El Fath, enabling him to intervene at all stages of government decision-making. This move comes after Nour El Fath was appointed to coordinate government affairs last month.
Assoumani, 65, who secured re-election in January amid allegations of voter fraud, faces accusations from opponents in the Indian Ocean nation of preparing his son to succeed him when his term ends in 2029. Assoumani has not publicly addressed these allegations.
Nour El Fath did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“There is no doubt that Colonel Azali Assoumani, by granting presidential and constitutional prerogatives to his son, is preparing the latter to succeed him,” said Saïd Larifou, a Franco-Comorian lawyer and political commentator, in an interview with Reuters.
According to a presidential decree published on Tuesday, El Fath’s new responsibilities include evaluating ministers and intervening in the execution of government decisions at all levels.
The 40-year-old El Fath previously served as a senior economic adviser to his father from 2019 before being appointed secretary-general of the government on July 1.
Government spokesperson Fatima Hamada stated that the presidential decree clarified and formalized El Fath’s prerogatives as secretary-general.
Comoros, an archipelago off the coast of Mozambique with a population of around 800,000, has a turbulent political history marked by around 20 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975.
Assoumani first came to power in 1999 through a coup and has since won four presidential elections. A controversial referendum in 2018 extended the presidential term from five to ten years, allowing Assoumani to run again in 2019.
Credit: Reuters
