The deadline for the submission of candidacies for the presidential and governor positions concluded on Friday. The Independent National Electoral Commission reported last Thursday that 23 candidacy applications had been withdrawn, with three official candidacies deposited. While the commission is yet to release an official statement, approximately ten candidacies, including that of Azali Assoumani seeking reelection, are anticipated.
On the opposition front, several prominent figures have thrown their hats into the ring. The Juwa party, a key opposition force led by former President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi, selected Dr. Salim Issa Abdallah less than a month ago during its primaries, integrating him into a coalition for broader support.
Two other heavyweight figures from the opposition are also vying for the presidency. Mohamed Douadou, formerly Azali’s Minister of the Interior and now aligned with the opposition, and Mouigni Baraka Saïd Soilihi, the former governor of Ngazidja, who has been a prominent opposition figure since 2019.
Former ally of Azali during his initial term in the early 2000s, Aboudou Soef, who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs at that time, is also in contention. Additionally, Hamidou Bourhane, the former President of the National Assembly during Sambi’s presidency, is among the notable official candidates.
Pending validation by the Supreme Court, the Independent National Electoral Commission is expected to officially endorse the provisional candidacies 30 days before the commencement of the campaign scheduled for December 17th.