Africa > Comoros > Government

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Administrative divisions 3 islands and 4 municipalities*; Grande Comore, Anjouan, Domoni*, Fomboni*, Moheli, Moroni*, Mutsamudu*
Capital city	Moroni
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	11 42 S, 43 14 E
Capital city > Name	Moroni
Capital city > Time difference UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution	23 December 2001
countries' copyright length > Usual term of copyright protection	Berne
CPIA equity of public resource use rating	3		[61st of 75]
CPIA quality of public administration rating	2		[73rd of 75]
Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Madagascar is accredited to Comoros
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery Mission to the US, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 418, New York, NY 10017
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission Representative to the US and Ambassador to the UN Mohamed TOIHIRI
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone	[1] (212) 750-1637
Executive branch > Cabinet Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Executive branch > Chief of state President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006)
Executive branch > Election results Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI elected president; percent of vote - Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI 58.0%, Ibrahim HALIDI 28.3%, Mohamed DJAANFAMI 13.7%
Executive branch > 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
Executive branch > Head of government President Ahmed Abdallah SAMBI (since 26 May 2006)
Federal republic > Contemporary > Style	Union
Flag description four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and blue with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist; centered within the triangle is a white crescent with the convex side facing the hoist and four white, five-pointed stars placed vertically in a line between the points of the crescent; the horizontal bands and the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago - Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mahore (Mayotte - territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by Comoros); note: the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam
Flag modification	3		[177th of 197]
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment	June 29, 1999
General government final consumption expenditure > annual % growth	-5.27 %		[112nd of 147]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$	28,243,070 constant 2000 US$		[112nd of 145]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$ (per capita)	47.033 constant 2000 US$ per c		[96th of 146]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant LCU	10626270000
General government final consumption expenditure > current LCU	18678300000
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$	47,215,000 $		[141st of 169]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per $ GDP)	0.122 $ per $1 of GDP		[93rd of 184]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per capita)	78.628 $ per capita		[114th of 184]
Government type	republic
Independence	6 July 1975 (from France)
International organization participation ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AMF, AU, COMESA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
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)
Legal system French and Islamic law in a new consolidated code; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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)
Legislative branch > A note the constitution stipulates that only parties that win six seats in the Federal Assembly (two from each island) are permitted to be in the opposition, but if no party accomplishes that, the second most successful party will be in the opposition; in the elections of December 1996 the FNJ appeared to qualify as opposition
Legislative branch > 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
Legislative branch > Elections last held 18 and 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
National holiday	Independence Day, 6 July
political parties > Multi party •(The Comoros have two main "camps," federalists (supporters of the central government) and autonomists (supporters of the three island presidents).)
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
Procedures to build a warehouse > number	17		[80th of 168]
Procedures to build a warehouse > number (per capita)	28.31 per 1 million people		[23rd of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number	60		[5th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number (per capita)	99.918 per 1 million people		[17th of 171]
Procedures to register property > number	5		[125th of 167]
Procedures to register property > number (per capita)	8,326.539 per 1 billion people		[22nd of 167]
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament > %	3 %		[163rd of 174]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number	11		[52nd of 171]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number (per capita)	18.318 per 1 million people		[20th of 171]
Status	transition
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal
Time required to build a warehouse > days	196 days		[77th of 168]
Time required to enforce a contract > days	721 days		[32nd of 171]
Time required to register property > days	24 days		[125th of 167]
Time required to start a business > days	23 days		[124th of 171]
Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours	100 hours		[154th of 169]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International claims French-administered Mayotte and challenges France's and Madagascar's claims to Banc du Geyser, a drying reef in the Mozambique Channel; in May 2008, African Union forces are called in to assist the Comoros military recapture Anjouan Island from rebels who seized it in 2001
UN membership date	12 Nov. 1975
United Nations mission http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5236.htm

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