Comoros: Presidential aspirants wrap up campaign ahead of Sunday's polls

Presidential aspirants in Sunday’s elections in the Comoros Islands have been hard at work this week.

Campaigning officially ended at midnight on Friday for the 25 candidates hoping to take up the country’s top job.

Fahami Said Ibrahim, considered one of the favourites in the race, held his final rally at the Independence Square in Moroni on Thursday.

The grandson of the last Sultan of Grande Comore, who is obviously enjoying public support used the occasion to strongly send his message across one last time.

Fahami is not new to the country’s political scene having served as Foreign Minister under President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, who ruled the country between 2006 and 2011.

The 43-year-old lawyer is contesting the elections on the ticket of the Juwa party and he will be coming up not only against 24 others but his half brother Said Ali Kemal who is contesting on the ticket of the Shuma party for which he was the chairman.

In the absence of scientific polls, some analysts say only a handful of the 25 candidates have a chance to qualify for the second round of the polls if there’s no clear leader on Sunday.

Other favorites in the race include the incumbent vice president Mohamed Ali Soilihi; a former Head of State, Azali Assoumani; Governor of Grande Comore, Mouigni Baraka and former President of the Federal Assembly, Bourhane Hamidou.

22 of the candidates earlier this week expressed concern that the polls might be rigged.

Some voters are also unhappy the candidates are not address the real issues affecting the country.

“Their programs are superficial,” said a lawyer, Mohamed Kamardine.

“The candidates talk about agriculture and fishing, but not about gas and oil, (which are) essential issues” for which studies are being carried out, he told AFP, referring to ongoing surveys off the archipelago.