/ 27 January 1999

COMORAN ELECTION POSTPONED

COMOROS interim President Tadjidine Ben Said Massonde has postponed the election for the successor to Mohamed Taki Abdoulkarim who died last November. Tadjidine said on Wednesday: “My interim period was to last for three months and enable the organisation of the presidential vote,” he said. “But … it is impossible to organise elections in which all Comoran people can take part.” The federal Islamic republic of three islands has for nearly one and a half years been confronted with the unilateral secession of Anjouan, where several dozen people were killed in clashes among rival separatist groups in December.