By Enyichukwu Enemanna
President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani has appointed his son Nour El Fath as coordinator of government affairs, granting him a new sweeping power, which allows him to intervene at every stage of decision-making in government.
El Fath did not immediately respond to a request by Reuters news agency for a comment, Heritage Times HT learnt.
In his role, El Fath’s powers will include evaluating ministers and intervening at all stages of the execution of government decisions, according to a presidential decree published on Tuesday.
Opposition and right activists have accused the nation’s leader of preparing his son to take over power from him upon the expiration of his tenure in 2029.
“There is no doubt that Colonel Azali Assoumani, by granting presidential and constitutional prerogatives to his son, is preparing the latter to succeed him,” Franco-Comorian lawyer Saïd Larifou, a political commentator alleged.
El Fath, 40 has worked as a senior economic adviser to Assoumani from 2019 before taking up the position of the secretary general of the government which took effect on July 1.
Government spokesperson Fatima Hamada said the presidential decree clarified and formalised El Fath’s prerogatives as secretary general.
Heritage Times HT reports that El Fath may likely not be eligible to succeed his father in office, arising from a 2018 constitutional reforms which makes it mandatory for presidency to rotate among the three main islands from every five years to 10.
Only a new constitutional amendment before 2029 can qualify him to succeed his 65-year-old father.
Assoumani’s re-election in January was greeted with allegations of electoral fraud by opposition figures.
He first came to power in 1999 through a coup and has won four elections since 2002.
