Comorian Union for Progress explained

Country:Comoros
Comorian Union for Progress
Native Name:اتحاد جزر القمر من أجل التقدم
Union Comorienne pour le Progrès
Udzima
Colorcode:
  1. 77BC11
Foundation:1982
Dissolved:1996
Ideology:Nationalism
Headquarters:Moroni

The Comorian Union for Progress (Comorian: Udzima, lit. Unity;[1] French: Union Comorienne pour le Progrès, UCP) is a political party in the Comoros.

History

In 1978, French mercenary Bob Denard staged a coup d'etat against the socialist government of Ali Soilih, bringing Ahmed Abdallah back to power. In February 1982, Abdallah banned all existing political parties and created the UCP. In subsequent elections a month later, the UCP won 37 of 38 seats in the National Assembly, with the other seat going to an independent. In the 1987 parliamentary elections the UCP won all 42 seats. Another coup by Denard in 1989 brought Said Mohamed Djohar, who was also part of the UCP.

Multi-party politics was introduced in 1990 and Djohar was elected President. However, Djohar renounced the party in 1991. The party boycotted the 1992 parliamentary elections in protest at the government's refusal to update the voter roll.[2] However, it did contest the early elections the following year, winning two seats.[3]

The party was dissolved in October 1996 when it merged into the National Rally for Development.[4]

However, the party was later reformed, and contested the 2015 parliamentary elections, failing to win a seat. It nominated Said Ahmed Said Ali as its candidate for the 2016 presidential elections, but he failed to progress beyond the Grande Comore primary, only receiving 0.5% of the vote.

Electoral history

Presidential elections

ElectionParty candidateVotes%Votes%Result
First RoundSecond Round
1984Ahmed Abdallah99.4%Elected
1990Said Mohamed Djohar44,84523.1%103,00055.1%Elected
1996Omar Tamou13.3%Lost
Mtara Maécha38.7%
2016Said Ahmed Said Ali5730.52%Lost

Assembly elections

ElectionVotes%Seats+/–PositionResult
1982 37 1st
1987 5 1st
1992Boycotted 42
1993 2 5th
20152,7131.51%10th

Notes and References

  1. Martin Ottenheimer & Harriet Ottenheimer (1994) Historical Dictionary of the Comoro Islands, Scarecrow Press, p85
  2. http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2069_92.htm Elections held in 1992
  3. http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2069_93.htm Elections held in 1993
  4. https://www.africaintelligence.fr/ION/politics/1996/10/12/constitutional-referendum,39722-ART Comoros islands: Constitutional referendum