Azali Assoumani was the President of the Comoros from 1999 to 2002.
Education
After having graduated from the college he chose a military career; he was sent to the Royal Military Academy in Morocco. When the young officer returned to his hometown he served as the President’s general personal secretary, and later he commanded a subdivision in the National School of Armed Forces and Gendarmerie.
A desire to get solid military education brought Assoumani to France, there he finished Infantry School in Montpellier first, and then he finished the Military College in Paris.
Career
The events on the Comoros did not go unnoticed by the international community. That’s why Assoumani had to appoint the civilian Prime Minister. That was the first step to the transition from the military regime, which was established by Assoumani, to the civilian. He claimed that he would voluntarily leave the Presidential post in order a new head of the state could be democratically elected. But Assoumani didn’t keep his words and he made up a cunning plan, according to which he left military service and started electioneering as a civilian. Assoumani left the Presidential post in 2002, but only in order to participate in the next elections three months later. Azali Assoumani got the vast majority of votes (75%) during the general election on April 14, 2002 and was proclaimed President.
It was questioned by the foreign observers whether the elections of 2002 on the Comoros were democratic or not. But the USA recognized the elections as free and democratic.
Azali Assoumani was the first President of a practically new state, the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros. Before that the three biggest islands were almost independent from each other and had constant conflicts that brought the whole small country into the state of war. Though it’s too early to speak about achieving political stability, the president has done a lot to do that. The Federal Parliamentary elections were held and the first Federal government was established. Assoumani advocates for expansion of federal cooperation but still he recognises the right of the islands for the autonomy.
Not everybody is contented by the President’s policy. There were attempts of another military coup during his ruling, and there were attempted murders. Assoumani’s party didn’t get the expected support during the Parliamentary elections in 2004. According to the opinion of analytics that can bring to the growing influence of the opposition that demands for more independence for the islands, and that can bring to new political conflicts. And at the same time the government has other problems. The Republic of Comoros is one of the poorest countries in the world; here many of economic and political problems, such as freedom of conscience, respect for women’s right and etc., still are not solved.
But Azali Assoumani showed himself as a firm and decisive politician during the years of his ruling; he can use both force and democratic methods. Probably such kind of a person can lead a small island country to a new stage of development.
Politics
Military views. He led a military coup in April 1999, and as the result the President Massunde was removed from power, the Constitution was cancelled and all the State Institutions were dissolved. On May 6, 1999 the rebellious colonel proclaimed himself the President according to the new temporary Constitution, introduced by Assoumani.