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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANTANANARIVO 000636 
 
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DEPT FOR AF/E MBEYZEROV 
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ACCRA PLEASE PASS TO LINDA THOMAS-GREENFIELD 
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DEPT FOR DS/IP/AF/E CKOLLMAR 
DEPT FOR DS/DSS/ITA DROTHSTEIN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KDEM PHUM AU CN
SUBJECT: COMOROS ELECTIONS: TWO OUT OF THREE SUCCEED 
 
REF: ANTAN 615 
 
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES GEORGE N. SIBLEY FOR REASONS 1.4 B, D 
 
¶1.  (C)  SUMMARY:  Island elections in Grande Comore and 
Moheli successfully completed their second rounds June 24. 
Embassy observers found the election in Grande Comore to be 
transparent and well-organized.  Tensions are high between 
the Union government, African Union (AU), and other 
international representatives in Moroni as Mohamed Bacar 
remains in control of the third Comoran island of Anjouan. 
The Union Government is frustrated with AU tactics, insisting 
the time for negotiation has passed.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Island Elections Results In Grande Comore And Moheli 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶2. (U)  Late June 26, the Comoran Constitutional Court in 
Moroni announced final official results for the second round 
of island president elections in Grand Comore and Moheli.  In 
Grande Comore, Mohamed Abdouloihabi (known as "Albino"), the 
candidate supported by Union President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, 
defeated Larifou by earning 57 percent of the vote.  In 
Moheli, Mohamed Ali Said defeated incumbent Faizul with 57 
percent of the vote there.  Embassy observers noted a few 
irregularities but in general found election officials to be 
professional and efficient.  Of note, prior to the June 24 
polls, the National Electoral Commission convened 
international observers for a "lessons learned" session to 
solicit feedback from the first round and to announce several 
adjustments made to correct imperfections on June 10. 
 
La Francophonie And AU Squabble 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (C)  Tensions were running high at a meeting of the 
international community June 23, where a squabble broke out 
between AU envoy Madeira and the Head of the Organization for 
the Francophonie (OIF) delegation.  Noting Madeira went 
against the GOC,s wishes by meeting with members of Bacar,s 
government during a June 22 visit to Anjouan in which he was 
only to hand them the June 19 Cape Town communique (reftel), 
an official of the Ministry of Exterior Relations questioned 
&what game is the AU playing?8  The OIF representative 
accused the AU of working on its own and failing to consult 
other members of the international community.  Madeira 
snapped back, &We do not know if the OIF is even our friend. 
 Are you with us or against us?8  The argument finished with 
the OIF representative telling Madeira, &This is not 
finished, so be careful.8  The GOC,s discomfort with the 
lack of coordination and communication on the AU,s part has 
clearly worked its way through the international community. 
 
Bacar Remains In Control Of Anjouan 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C)  As of midday June 27, renegade former Anjouan island 
president Bacar remains in control of the island of Anjouan 
with his armed militia.  Despite warnings from Union 
President Sambi, the AU continues to insist on futile 
"negotiating" sessions with Bacar.  An AU ministerial 
delegation lead by South African Minister of Foreign Affairs 
Zuma traveled to Anjouan June 24 with the express purpose of 
determining whether Bacar would accept the conditions set 
forth in the June 19 Cape Town communique.  However, 
following discussions where Bacar set forth a number of 
procedural complaints including the illegal composition of 
the Constitutional Court, the AU delegation returned to 
Moroni recommending the GOC, Bacar,s government, and the AU 
sit down for tripartite negotiations to deal with these 
institutional issues before discussing elections. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Upset the AU seemed to be retreating, President 
Sambi publicly declared June 26, &No more negotiations. 
Elections first on Anjouan.8  A statement subsequently 
released by the GOC claimed the AU delegation contradicted 
the decisive spirit of the June 19 Cape Town announcement by 
considering further negotiations with Bacar. 
 
Anjouanese People Demonstrate Against Bacar 
------------------------------------------- 
 
 
ANTANANARI 00000636  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6. (SBU)  Timed to greet AU Envoy Madeira, several hundred 
Anjouanese people tried to demonstrate against Bacar at the 
airport outside Mutsumudu, Anjouan.  Bacar's forces dispersed 
the gathering crowd and arrested at least one journalist. 
Later in the day, several hundred Anjounese marched in the 
streets of Mutsumudu chanting against Bacar and holding signs 
demanding freedom and democracy. 
 
Embassy Observer Teams 
---------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  The Embassy sent three observers ) one officer 
and two local staff ) to the second round of island 
elections on the two islands where Union authority holds 
sway.  Although they observed several small discrepancies, 
the overall impression was elections that were free, fair, 
transparent, and well organized.  Other international 
observers shared the same impression.  The chief complaint 
from elections officials centered around the low voter 
turnout. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The elections proceeded remarkably smoothly.  As 
with the first round of the elections, South Africa and the 
African Union provided logistical support and security. 
After the first round, Comoran election officials and the 
candidates had identified several procedural problems, and 
initiated changes for the second round, which were 
implemented quickly, although several were implemented 
sporadically.  Some polling stations complained that they did 
not have sufficient ballots for each registered voter.  The 
discrepancy was, with one exception, less than 25 ballots in 
each case, and in no case presented a problem due to the low 
turnout. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  Foumbouni, Grande Comore, home of losing candidate 
Larifou, was the only area to give U.S. observers pause. 
There, observers at one of the town,s five voting stations 
saw a number of procedural irregularities, the most serious 
being regular requests by one of Abduloihabi,s observers 
that he be allowed to assist each aged or disabled voter who 
entered, and then proceeded to mark the ballot for the voter, 
without appearing to obtain the voter,s opinion.  While 
concerned, both U.S. and other international observers did 
not feel the discrepancies impugned the overall process. 
 
¶10. (SBU) After the polls closed, vote counting proceeded 
quickly.  On Grande Comore the electoral commission tabulated 
all the votes by 5:00 a.m.  The materials from Moheli arrived 
by helicopter at 10:30 Monday morning, and the results were 
ready two hours later, less than 24 hours after the polls had 
closed.  The Constitutional Court completed its count and 
certification of the results at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, over a 
full day earlier than expected. 
 
¶11.  (C)  COMMENT: The Comoran Government is starting to 
publicly express its frustration with the AU's refusal to 
take Anjouan by force and Madeira's ongoing circus of talks 
which do little but lend legitimacy to Bacar.  Besides his 
inability to govern the people of Anjouan under Bacar's 
control, Sambi is under increasing pressure of public unrest 
in Grand Comore and Moheli for his perceived inability to 
maintain the Union.  Our civic leader contacts in Anjouan 
share Sambi's sentiment regarding Bacar, and ask why the AU 
continues to negotiate with a "rebel who only defies the 
international community."  Post shares the GOC's view that 
Minister Zuma's mission to Comoros did not produce 
substantial results and that it is counterproductive to 
suggest talks with Bacar at this stage, except for the 
modality whereby he might relinquish power to allow free and 
fair elections in Anjouan.  Bacar appears to have calculated 
that the forceful words in the Cape Town declaration will not 
be followed by forceful action.  We fear that he may have 
calculated correctly.  END COMMENT. 
 
SIBLEY