The President of the Comoros Islands, AhmedAbdallah Mohamed Sambi is coming under intense pressure after some Comoriansdemonstrated in the capital, Moroni, demanding his resignation. Critics ofPresident Sambi are accusing him of failing to live up to his promises twoyears after he was voted into power. This comes after health workers went on anindefinite strike to press home their demands for better remuneration and thecomplaints of civil servants for not being paid over the last six months. Butthe government dismissed the accusations, saying President Sambi would keep tohis word despite shocks the economy has been experiencing after a worldwideincrease in fuel and food prices. Mohammed Mchangama is the chairman of themayors association of Grande Comore. He tells reporter Peter Clottey from thecapital, Moroni that Comorians are sick and tired of President Sambi.
"Ifully understand that the population is sick and tired of what is going on herebecause they have been deprived of everything. All three islands arepractically dead of activity because of the oil crisis here and because of thegovernment that has not been able to foresee the situation, not in terms ofprice hikes, but just to import enough oil at the right time. The prices havegone too high, and nothing is going on here so far. So, Comorians are sick and tired of President Sambi andespecially taking into account that there was much hope in this man who haspromised so many things, to fight against poverty, to give dissent housing in ashort time and so on," Mchangama noted.
He said Comorians areworried there seem to be a breakdown of President Sambi's government.
"Soyes, many are hoping and calling for his resignation. So far there has been noinstitution, and no political party as such, that has called for hisresignation. It is the general population, and it is a popular feeling here,"he said.
Mchangamasaid President Sambi's government has not been successful in meeting thedemands of what the administration is required to do.
"The crisis here is not justabout food. It is much more than that. Nothing is functioning down here becausethere is a strike action in hospitals where doctors are not working as well asnurses, and that has been going on for months. These are not due to pricehikes, but it is because the president and the government have not beenfunctioning at all. And there is nobody to discuss these problems with theunions. So you could see that there is a huge problem with the union governmentof President Sambi because for six months, civil servants have not been paid.And this is a crisis that has been affecting all sectors of our economy,"Mchangama pointed out.
He described President Sambias not a team player in his own government.
"One has the feeling thatPresident Sambi behaves rather like a dictator with no efficient team. Hethinks that he has been elected and the country is his, and he has chosen forthat sake people who have no personality in the government. For him, hisministers are just caretakers and are people who are just there not to lead intheir various ministries, but people that he can use as he likes. So Comoriansdon't feel there is any government. I mean, you don't have a feeling of a teamthat is united because they have a common goal, common purpose," he said.
Mchangama reiterated thatComorians don't feel there is a government that represents them.
"There is no government assuch. There is Mr. Sambi, and some guys that he has appointed. Whether Mr.Sambi would resign or not I don't know. I think Mr. Sambi has been thinking ofchanging the constitution so it would suit him. For now, President Sambi is notsaying anything, and people don't know what he is thinking about. He is quiteabsent and it seems there is no head of state," Mchangama pointed out.