ing a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in
January 2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002
presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was
appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI in May
2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External Defense and
Territorial Security; the president is both the chief of state and
the head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency
rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three
main islands in the Union; election last held 14 April 2002 (next to
be held April 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; note
- AZALI has not appointed a Prime Minister since he was sworn into
office in May 2002
election results: President AZALI Assoumani elected president with
75% of the vote

Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are
selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the 18 by
universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years);
elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: NA

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by the
president, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one elected
by the Council of each island, and others are former presidents of
the republic)

Political parties and leaders:
Forces pour l'Action Republicaine or FAR [Col. Abdourazak
ABDULHAMID]; Forum pour la Redressement National or FRN (alliance of
12 parties); Front Democratique or FD [Moustoifa Said CHEIKH]; Front
National pour la Justice or FNJ (Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed
RACHID]; Movement des Citoyens pour la Republique or MCR [Mahamoud
MRADABI]; Mouvement Populaire Anjouanais or MPA (Anjouan separatist
movement) [leader NA]; Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress
or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Movement pour le Socialisme et la
Democratie or MSD (splinter group of FD) [Abdou SOEFOU]; Parti
Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE];
Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND (party of the
government) [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA

International organization participation:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt
(signatory),