chief of state: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006) head of government: President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006) 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 May 2006 (next to be held by May 2010); prime minister appointed by the president; note - the post of prime minister has been vacant since May 2002 election results: Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI elected president; percent of vote - Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI 58.0%, Ibrahim HALIDI 28.3%, Mohamed DJAANFAMI 13.7%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Assembly of the Union (33 seats; 15 deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and 18 by universal suffrage; to serve for five years); elections: last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CdIA 12, CRC 6; note - 15 additional seats are filled by deputies from local island assemblies
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:
Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros or CRC [AZALI Assowmani];
Camp of the Autonomous Islands or CdIA (a coalition of parties
organized by the islands' presidents in opposition to the Union
President); Front National pour la Justice or FNJ [Ahmed RACHID]
(Islamic party in opposition); Mouvement pour la Democratie et le
Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Parti Comorien pour la
Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement
National pour le Development or RND [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid
AFFRAITANE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
other: environmentalists
International organization participation: