By RFIPalled on 03-23-2019Today the 23-03-2019 to 03:05

Comoros is preparing to vote for the first round of the early presidential election. 308,000 voters are called from Sunday morning to choose between 13 candidates, including incumbent President Azali Assoumani. Whether the outgoing head of state or one of his opponents wins, the Comorians have a lot of expectation in all areas.

After the afternoon prayer, Kinkin, 63, comes to relax in Gobachu Square. The retiree says do not worry too much about him. On the other hand, he expects a lot from the future president for the future of his five children.

" At 63, I have to rest but the young people there, they must take over. There are people who have bac + and who hang out. And the posts are political positions. They do not give them to people who have skills, so we have no hope for these little ones. There must be a future. "

Reform and reconciliation

At the port cafe the atmosphere is different. Every day we hold political debates called "Comments". Mohamed Athoumani, a tax expert currently unemployed, thinks of a vast economic reform. " Many local products are imported from Madagascar or Dar-es-Salaam. We need to have farms, fishmongers and fields to grow bananas and cassava, yams, and so on. We are not many, we are at least 2 million. We need food self-sufficiency. "

Next to him, Daniel Nabhan, a 40-year-old fisherman, prioritizes national reconciliation and the return to Comoros of the island of Mayotte, French for more than 40 years. " Our islands must stop dividing and they must coexist. After we will recover Mayotte. It is the networks of Françafrique that cause these conflicts. The next president will have to unite the country. "

Work and infrastructure

Some concerns mainly concern the islands of Anjouan or Mohéli vis-a-vis the central power, estimates a young student. And others are issues that can be found indiscriminately throughout the archipelago.

" For example, when I was educated here, in the end I have to go to Grande Comore to continue, it's hard for us, " said the resident of Anjouan . I have little brothers and sisters that my mother has to look after here, how can she find money to send me to Grande Comore? All this in addition to risk not finding work in my branch. "

Others claim that the focus is on infrastructure. " We, all we want, is the repair of the roads because they are really not good, deplores this man. Yet we are constantly asked for things : patente, vignette and others ... The government is never mobilized to help us. He could say, "Make some paper but not this one" until things get better . "

" They all lied to us "

But for this Anjouanais, it is useless to expect real changes from the future president. " Everything is difficult. I do not work however every day I have to use 20 € so life is hard. We do not believe anymore. The president who will come will be hypocritical like the others. They have all lied to us and we are small, we have no choice. "

Comoros was ranked the 23rd poorest country in the world in 2018 with a gross domestic product of $ 837 per capita. And whoever wins , the next president will have his work cut out if he wants to satisfy the Comorians.

We remind everyone that what matters is that Comorian citizens can win in this election.

Patrice Emery Trovoada

22-03-2019 - By Sébastien Nemeth

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