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The Constitution of the Comoros was adopted on 23 December 2001 and last amended in May 2009.
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The Constitution of the Comoros was adopted on 23 December 2001 and last amended in May 2009.
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The 1977 constitution (text (in French)) proposed by the government of Ali Soilih was approved by only 55 percent of voters in an October 1977 referendum. [1]
After taking office, Ahmed Abdallah consolidated power, beginning with the writing of a new constitution, approved in 1978 (text (in French)). [2] The document combined federalism and centralism. [2] It granted each island its own legislature and control over taxes levied on individuals and businesses resident on the island (perhaps with an eye to rapprochement with Mahore), while reserving strong executive powers for the president. [2] It also restored Islam as the state religion, while acknowledging the rights of those who did not observe the Muslim faith. [3] The new constitution was approved by 99 percent of Comoran voters on October 1, 1978. [4]
Abdallah kept opponents from competing with him by amending the 1978 constitution. [5] As part of what one observer wryly called the process of "remov[ing] his most avid successors from temptation", Abdallah pushed through a constitutional amendment in 1985 that abolished the post of prime minister, a move that made the president both head of state and head of the elected government. [6] The amendment also diminished the status of Ali Mroudjae, the erstwhile prime minister and a likely future candidate for president. [7] Another 1985 amendment took away many of the powers of the president of the National Assembly, including his right to become interim head of state in the event of the incumbent's death. [7] The amendment transferred the right of succession to the president of the Supreme Court, an appointee of the head of state. [7]
In 1989, Abdallah sought a constitutional amendment that would allow him to run for a third term in 1990. [8] The official result of the referendum was a 92.5 percent majority in favor of the amendments proposed by Abdallah, which now created "the conditions for a life presidency," warned one opposition leader. [8] Balloting was marked by the now customary manipulation by the government, and voters reacted angrily to abuses. [8] Leaders of the banned opposition in bold public statements questioned the legitimacy of the referendum. [8]
The Constitution of the Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros was approved by referendum on June 7, 1992. [9] It replaced the constitution of 1978, as amended. [9] Among the general principles enumerated in the preamble were the recognition of Islam as the state religion and respect for human rights as set forth in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. [9] All citizens were declared equal before the law. [9]
The president was elected by direct universal suffrage to a five-year term and was limited to two terms. [9] All persons over the age of eighteen who possessed full civil and political rights could vote. [9]
The president could be elected to no more than two terms. [10] The president was both head of state and head of government. [10] The president nominated ministers to form the Council of Government. [10] The president also nominated governors for each of the three islands for five-year terms. [10] If the presidency became vacant, the president of the Supreme Court would serve as interim president until an election could be held. [10]
The constitution provided for a bicameral legislature. [10] The forty-two members of the "lower" house, the Federal Assembly, represented electoral wards for four-year terms. [10] The Federal Assembly met for two forty-five-day sessions per year, in April and October. [10] The upper house, the Senate, had fifteen members, five from each island, who were chosen by an Electoral College. [10] The post of prime minister was held by a member of the party holding a majority of seats in the Federal Assembly. [10] The number of political parties could be regulated by federal law. [10] Areas subject to federal legislation included defense, communications, law, international trade, federal taxation, economic planning, and social services. [10]
As a federal republic, Comoros assigned autonomy to the three constituent islands in matters that, in accordance with the constitution, did not come within the purview of the national government. [10] Each island had a council whose members were elected to represent electoral wards for four-year terms. [10]
The judiciary was considered independent of the executive and legislature. [10] The Supreme Court examined constitutional issues and supervised presidential elections. [10] The high court also arbitrated when the government was accused of malpractice. [11]
The history of the Comoros extends back to about 800–1000 AD when the archipelago was first inhabited. The Comoros have been inhabited by various groups and sultanates throughout this time. France colonised the islands in the 19th century, and they became independent in 1975.
The Politics of the Union of the Comoros take place in a framework of a unitary presidential republic, whereby the President of the Comoros is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The precolonial legacies of the sultanates linger while the political situation in Comoros has been extremely fluid since the country's independence in 1975, subject to the volatility of coups and political insurrection.
The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in Taipei. The Legislative Yuan is composed of 113 members, who are directly elected for four-year terms by people of the Taiwan Area through a parallel voting system.
A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, they can be appended to the constitution as supplemental additions, thus changing the frame of government without altering the existing text of the document.
The Senate is the upper house of the Cortes Generales, which along with the Congress of Deputies – the lower chamber – comprises the Parliament of the Kingdom of Spain. The Senate meets in the Palace of the Senate in Madrid.
The Constitution of South Africa is the supreme law of the Republic of South Africa. It provides the legal foundation for the existence of the republic, it sets out the rights and duties of its citizens, and defines the structure of the Government. The current constitution, the country's fifth, was drawn up by the Parliament elected in 1994 in the South African general election, 1994. It was promulgated by President Nelson Mandela on 18 December 1996 and came into effect on 4 February 1997, replacing the Interim Constitution of 1993. The first constitution was enacted by the South Africa Act 1909, the longest-lasting to date. Since 1961, the constitutions have promulgated a republican form of government.
A supermajority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of more than one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fundamental rights of a minority, but they can also hamper efforts to respond to problems and encourage corrupt compromises at times when action is taken. Changes to constitutions, especially those with entrenched clauses, commonly require supermajority support in a legislature. Parliamentary procedure requires that any action of a deliberative assembly that may alter the rights of a minority have a supermajority requirement, such as a two-thirds vote. In consensus democracy the supermajority rule is applied in most cases.
In Australia, referendums are public votes held on important issues where the electorate may approve or reject a certain proposal. In contemporary usage, polls conducted on non-constitutional issues are known as plebiscites, with the term referendum being reserved solely for votes on constitutional changes, which is legally required to make a change to the Constitution of Australia.
Elections in the Comoros take place within the framework of a multi-party democracy and a presidential system. The President and the majority of the seats in the Assembly of the Union are directly elected.
The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus is the ultimate law of Belarus. The Constitution is composed of a preamble and nine sections divided into 146 articles.
The Constitution of Estonia is the fundamental law of the Republic of Estonia and establishes the state order as that of a democratic republic where the supreme power is vested in its citizens. The first Constitution was adopted by the freely elected Estonian Constituent Assembly on 15 June 1920 and came into force on 21 December 1920. Heavily amended on 24 January 1934, following a referendum in 1933, it was in force until the second Constitution was enacted on 1 January 1938. It remained in force, de facto, until 16 June 1940, when the Soviet Union occupied Estonia and, de jure, until 28 June 1992, when the third and current Constitution of the Republic of Estonia was adopted by referendum.
The Constitution of Armenia was adopted by a nationwide Armenian referendum on July 5, 1995. This constitution established Armenia as a democratic, sovereign, social, and constitutional state. Yerevan is defined as the state's capital. Power is vested in its citizens, who exercise it directly through the election of government representatives. Decisions related to changes in constitutional status or to an alteration of borders are subject to a vote of the citizens of Armenia exercised in a referendum. There are 117 articles in the 1995 constitution. On November 27, 2005, a nationwide constitutional referendum was held and an amended constitution was adopted. The constitution was amended again in a national referendum on December 6, 2015 that changed the political structure from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary republic.
The Constitution of the State of Colorado is the foundation of the laws and government of the U.S. state of Colorado. The Colorado State Constitution was drafted on March 14, 1876; approved by Colorado voters on July 1, 1876; and took effect upon the statehood of Colorado on August 1, 1876. As of 2020, the constitution has been amended at least 166 times. The Constitution of Colorado derives its authority from the sovereignty of the people. As such, the people of Colorado reserved specific powers in governing Colorado directly; in addition to providing for voting for Governor, state legislators, and judges, the people of Colorado have reserved initiative of laws and referendum of laws enacted by the legislature to themselves, provided for recall of office holders, and limit tax increases beyond set amounts without explicit voter approval, and must explicitly approve any change to the constitution, often with a 55% majority. The Colorado state constitution is one of the longest in the United States.
The Constitution of the Republic of Chad is the supreme law of Chad. Chad's seventh constitution, it was adopted in 1996, six years after President Idriss Déby rose to power following a successful rebellion against President Hissène Habré, this formal document establishes the framework of the Chadian state and government and enumerates the rights and freedoms of its citizens. In its current form, the contents of the Constitution include a preamble, 16 parts and 225 articles.
The Comoros is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, located off the eastern coast of Africa. France first established colonial rule in the Comoros in 1841. Agreement was reached with France in 1973 for the Comoros to become independent in 1978. On July 6, 1975, but the Comorian parliament passed a unilateral resolution declaring independence. The deputies of Mayotte, which remained under French control, abstained. Referendums on all four of the islands excluding Mayotte showed strong support for independence. Ahmed Abdallah proclaimed the Comoros' independence on September 5, 1975 and became its first president.
The current Constitution of Madagascar was, according to the national electoral commission, endorsed by a majority of voters in the constitutional referendum held on 14 November 2010. The new constitution launched the Fourth Republic of Madagascar and was widely seen as an attempt to consolidate and legitimise the rule of Andry Rajoelina and his High Transitional Authority government which was installed after a military-backed coup d'état against President Marc Ravalomanana at the beginning of the ongoing national political crisis. One substantive change from the constitution of the Third Republic was to lower the minimum age for presidential candidates from 40 to 35. This made Rajoelina, aged 36 at the time, eligible to stand in presidential elections.
An independence referendum was held in the Comoros on 22 December 1974. The overall result was a strong "yes" vote, with 94.57% of voters voting for independence and almost all the "no" votes being cast in Mayotte, where there was a majority for remaining under French control. In contrast, on Mohéli only five out of 6,059 votes were against independence. Voter turnout was 93.3%.
A constitutional referendum was held in the Comoros on 5 November 1989. The proposed amendments to the constitution would allow incumbent President Ahmed Abdallah to run for a third term, as well as creating the post of Prime Minister.
The Constitution of Samoa is a written constitution which is the supreme law in Samoa. It establishes Samoa as a parliamentary republic with a Westminster system and responsible government. It outlines the structure and powers of the Samoan government's three parts: the executive, legislature, and judiciary.
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This article summarises referendum laws and practice in various countries.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : Metz, Helen Chapin, ed. (1995). Indian Ocean : five island countries (3rd ed.). Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. ISBN 0-8444-0857-3. OCLC 32508646.
