Who runs local government in Comoros?

The Comoros is a union of three autonomous islands, Ngazidja (Grande Comore), Ndzuwani (Anjouan) and Mwali (Mohéli), each led by a directly elected governor. Below the islands are communes with elected councils. In villages, much real authority rests with notables and elders whose status comes from custom, especially Ngazidja's 'grand marriage' (anda) system, and with Muslim religious leaders.

Union of the Comoros · Presidential republic; union of autonomous islands · Eastern Africa

The levels of government below the nation

Level	How it is chosen	What it does
Autonomous islands (3)	Governor directly elected for five years (two-round vote); a Consultative Council of one representative from each communal council	Island planning, local schools and basic health, local administration, tourism, traditional fishing; budget must be approved by the Union.
Communes	Communal councils elected; the state's representative checks the legality of their acts	Local services and civil registration.
Villages and towns	Village notables and elders by custom	Community decisions, mosques, customary ceremonies, land and family matters.

Three questions about local power in Comoros

Are local leaders elected?

Island governors and communal councillors are elected. Village notables gain status through custom (age, the grand marriage), not elections. Cadis are appointed.

Which laws set up local government?

Islands and communes are in the 2018 constitution (Titles IV and V). Notables and diaspora associations work through custom and civil society.

Who are local leaders accountable to?

Governors and councils answer to voters; the Union approves island budgets and its representative checks communal acts. Notables answer to village opinion and custom.

Traditional and customary authority

Custom (mila na ntsi) and Islam shape village life. On Ngazidja, men who complete the costly 'grand marriage' (anda) become notables with a voice in village assemblies; elders' councils organise collective projects and ceremonies. Islamic judges (cadis) handle marriage, divorce and inheritance under Sunni (Shafi'i) law, and Sunni Islam is the state religion. These roles are mostly customary or religious; the state recognises Islamic family law but notables have no formal administrative power.

Community and neighbourhood power

Village associations, often funded by the large diaspora in France, build schools, mosques, roads and water systems. They work alongside, and sometimes in place of, communal councils.

Points to know

The Union presidency rotates between the islands; a candidate from the island 'whose turn it is' can serve five years, renewable once.
The 2018 constitution replaced island presidents and vice-presidents with governors.
The Comoros claims the fourth island, Mayotte, which remains French; the constitution calls its return a national priority.

Local terms

Anda: Ngazidja's 'grand marriage', a costly ceremony that raises a man to notable status.
Cadi: An Islamic judge dealing with family matters.

Sources

Comoros's Constitution of 2018, Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
Democracy Tracker: Comoros, International IDEA, checked 14 October 2026