At stake in this election:

• The office of President of Comoros

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Hamada MADI
• Head of Government: President Hamada MADI
• Assembly: Comoros has a bicameral Legislature consisting of the Senate with 15 seats and the Federal Assembly (Assemblee Federale) with 43 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by popular vote to serve a 4-year term.
• The Federal Assembly was dissolved after 1999.

Main Candidates in the Presidential race:

• Said Ali KEMAL
  • Party: Shuma
• Mahamoud MRADABI
  • Party: Shawiri
• Colonel Azali ASSOUMANI
  • Party: Independent

Last Presidential election:

• Elections were last held on March 6 and 16, 1996. A coup took place April 30, 1999. Mohamed TAKI Abdulkarim won 64.3% of the vote before passing away. Tajiddine Ben Said MASSOUNDE assumed power on 6 November 1998 before being overthrown in a bloodless coup April 30, 1999.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 575,428 (2002)
• Registered Voters: 150,867 (2002)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 285,762 (2002)

·         Is Comoros a signatory to CEDAW: No

·         Has Comoros ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (31 October 1994)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 0 (following 1996 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 159 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is Comoros a signatory to CRPD: Yes (26 September 2007)

·         Has Comoros ratified CRPD: Yes (16 June 2016)

·         Population with a disability: 84,228 (est.)