Comoros Government

The political system of the Union of Comoros is considered a federal presidential republic that takes place in a multi-party system. The President of Comoros is the head of government and the head of state. Executive power is vested in the ruling government as well as the national parliament. Federal legislative power is also shared the same way. In 2008, the United States organization Freedom House described Comoros as one of the only true democracies in the Arab world.

National elections in Comoros take place every five years for the President and parliament. The Presidency also rotates between the three main islands of the country: Anjouan, Grande Comore and Moheli. When it is an island's turn to hold this office the first round of elections are held exclusively in the region and the top three candidates progress to the national elections. Voting takes place in a first past the post system.

The parliament of the Union of Comoros is known as the Assembly of the Union and is located in Moroni, the capital. The 33 seats in this government are divided into 18 single-seat constituencies and 15 representatives of regional councils. The governing party is the Camp of the Autonomous Islands who hold 12 of these seats. The judicial branch of government has two members who are appointed by the President of Comoros, two who are elected by the Assembly of the Union, former presidents of the country, and one representative from the council of each island.

In Comoros, political parties are generally grouped into those who support the island government, which is autonomous, and those who support the federal government. The Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros and the Camp of the Autonomous islands are two of the major parties.