List of heads of state of the Comoros

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President of the
Union of the Comoros
Incumbent
Azali Assoumani
since 3 April 2019
Term length5 years, renewable once.
Inaugural holderAhmed Abdallah (State of the Comoros; First president of the Federal and Islamic Republic of the Comoros)
Ali Soilih (State of the Comoros; First president)
Azali Assoumani (Union of the Comoros)
Formation27 October 1977
SuccessionLine of succession
DeputyAbolished, Vice-President of the Comoros
Salary53,557,291 Comorian francs/117,060 USD annually[1]

This article lists the heads of state of the Comoros, since the country gained independence from France in 1975.

Term limits[edit]

A new constitution, approved in the 2018 constitutional referendum allows the president to run for two consecutive five-year terms. Previously during the time of Union of the Comoros, there was a one-term rotational system in place to share the presidency between Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli.[2]

List of officeholders[edit]

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Title Term of office Political party
Took office Left office Time in office
/ComorosState of the Comoros (État Comorien)
1
Ahmed Abdallah
Ahmed Abdallah
(1919–1989)
President of the Government
(until 7 July 1975)
Head of State
6 July 19753 August 197528 daysUDC
2
Said Mohamed Jaffar
Said Mohamed Jaffar
(1918–1993)
Chairman of the National Council of the Revolution
(until 10 August 1975)
Chairman of the National Executive Council
3 August 19753 January 1976153 daysRDPC
3
Ali Soilih
Ali Soilih
(1937–1978)
Head of State
(until 28 October 1977)
President
3 January 197613 May 19782 years, 130 daysRDPC
4
Said Atthoumani
Said AtthoumaniChairman of the Politico-Military Directorate13 May 197823 May 197810 daysIndependent
Comoros/Comoros/ComorosFederal and Islamic Republic of the Comoros
(République fédérale islamique des Comores) (Jumhuriyat al-Qumur al-Itthadiyah al-Islamiyah)
Ahmed Abdallah & Mohamed Ahmed
Ahmed Abdallah & Mohamed Ahmed
(1919–1989) (1917–1984)
Co-Chairmen of the Politico-Military Directorate
(until 22 July 1978)
Co-Chairmen of the Directorate
23 May 19783 October 1978133 daysUDC
(1)
Ahmed Abdallah
Ahmed Abdallah
(1919–1989)
Chairman of the Directorate
(until 25 October 1978)
President
3 October 197826 November 1989 †11 years, 54 daysUDC
Said Mohamed Djohar
Said Mohamed Djohar
(1919–2006)
Acting
Acting President27 November 198920 March 1990113 daysUDC
5
Said Mohamed Djohar
Said Mohamed Djohar
(1919–2006)
President20 March 199029 September 19955 years, 193 daysUCP
6
Combo Ayouba
Combo Ayouba
(c. 1952–2010)
Coordinator of the Transitional Military Committee29 September 19952 October 19953 daysMilitary
Mohamed Taki Abdoulkarim & Said Ali Kemal
Mohamed Taki Abdoulkarim & Said Ali Kemal
Acting
(1936–1998) (1938–2020)
Acting President2 October 19955 October 19953 daysNational Union for Democracy (Comoros)
Party of Unity and Fraternity of the Islands
Caabi El-Yachroutu Mohamed
Caabi El-Yachroutu Mohamed
(born 1949)
Acting
Interim President5 October 199526 January 1996113 daysRDR
(5)
Said Mohamed Djohar
Said Mohamed Djohar
(1919–2006)
President26 January 199625 March 199659 daysRDR
6
Mohamed Taki Abdoulkarim
Mohamed Taki Abdoulkarim
(1936–1998)
President25 March 19966 November 1998 †2 years, 226 daysRDR
Tadjidine Massounde
Tadjidine Massounde
(1933–2004)
Acting
Interim President6 November 199830 April 1999175 daysIndependent
7
Azali Assoumani
Colonel
Azali Assoumani
(born 1959)
Chief of Staff of the National Development Army
(until 6 May 1999)
Head of State
30 April 199923 December 20012 years, 237 daysMilitary
ComorosUnion of the Comoros
(Union des Comores) / الاتحاد القمر (dzima wa Komori)
(7)
Azali Assoumani
Colonel
Azali Assoumani
(born 1959)
Head of State23 December 200121 January 200229 daysMilitary
Hamada Madi
Hamada Madi
(born 1965)
Acting
[3]
Interim President21 January 200226 May 2002125 daysRepublican Party (Comoros)
(7)
Azali Assoumani
Azali Assoumani
(born 1959)
President26 May 200226 May 20064 yearsCRC
8
Ahmed Sambi
Ahmed Sambi
(born 1958)
President26 May 200626 May 20115 yearsFNJ
9
Ikililou Dhoinine
Ikililou Dhoinine
(born 1962)
President26 May 201126 May 20165 yearsFNJ
(7)
Azali Assoumani
Azali Assoumani
(born 1959)
President26 May 201613 February 20192 years, 263 daysCRC
Moustadroine Abdou
Moustadroine Abdou
(born 1969)
Acting
Interim President13 February 20193 April 201949 daysCRC
(7)
Azali Assoumani
Azali Assoumani
(born 1959)
President3 April 2019Incumbent4 years, 360 daysCRC

Timeline[edit]

Moustadroine AbdouIkililou DhoinineAhmed Abdallah Mohamed SambiHamada MadiAzali AssoumaniTadjidine Ben Said MassoundeCaabi El-Yachroutu MohamedMohamed Taki AbdoulkarimSaid Ali KemalCombo AyoubaSaid Mohamed DjoharMohamed Ahmed (Comorian politician)Said AtthoumaniAli SoilihSaid Mohamed JaffarAhmed Abdallah

Succession[edit]

Article 58[4] of the Comorian Constitution states that "in case of absolute absence of a President" the following should happen:

  • If the absence (death, resignation, etc.) should occur within the first 900 days of the term, the cabinet ministers and other members of the government select among the ministers a "main minister" to serve as Interim President. Elections must also be called in no more than 60 days after the absence of the President occurs; the person who wins those elections will be president for the remainder of the original five-year presidential term.
  • If the absence should occur beyond the first 900 days of the term, then the Governor of the island currently holding the presidency will assume the presidency until the end of the original five-year presidential term, at which point regular elections are held.

Latest election[edit]

CandidatePartyVotes%
Azali AssoumaniConvention for the Renewal of the Comoros96,63560.77
Mahamoud AhamadaIndependent23,23314.61
Mouigni Baraka Saïd SoilihiIndependent8,8515.57
Mohamed Ali SoilihiUnion for the Development of the Comoros6,1103.84
Hamidou KarihilaIndependent3,8802.44
Fahmi Said IbrahimIndependent3,7822.38
Hassani HamadiIndependent3,5762.25
Saïd LarifouIndependent3,3682.12
Achmet SaïdIndependent3,3262.09
Ibrahim Ali MzimbaIndependent2,1851.37
Ali MhadjiIndependent1,4840.93
Said Djaffar ElmacelyIndependent1,4740.93
Salim SaadiIndependent1,1040.69
Total159,008100.00
Valid votes159,00895.53
Invalid/blank votes7,4394.47
Total votes166,447100.00
Registered voters/turnout309,13753.84
Source: CENI[permanent dead link]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The highest and lowest paid African presidents – Business Daily". Business Daily. 27 December 2020.
  2. ^ Cook, Candace; Siegle, Joseph. "Circumvention of Term Limits Weakens Governance in Africa". Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
  3. ^ Chiefs of State and Cabinet members of foreign governments. Central Intelligence Agency. 2003. hdl:2027/osu.32435083447862.
  4. ^ "L'intégralité du projet de révision de la constitution de l'Union des Comores". Al-watwan – Le premier journal des Comores. 10 November 2023.

External links[edit]