THE military ruler in the Comoro islands, Colonel Azali Assoumani, says power will be returned to civilians at the start of 2002 and added that he would not stand at the polls. Power will be restored to democratically elected civilians, insh’Allah [God willing], as we say,” Azali said. “I’m going to become a citizen,” added the head of state, who seized power in the latest of many coups in the Indian Ocean archipelago on April 30, 1999. He “totally” ruled out standing for election himself. – AFP