Why did opponents criticize the 2018 constitutional referendum in Comoros?

Opponents criticized the 2018 constitutional referendum in Comoros primarily because they viewed it as an attempted power grab by President Azali Assoumani.1

The proposed changes were controversial for several reasons:

• Consolidation of Power: The referendum sought to eliminate the system of a rotating, single-term federal presidency among the three islands, instead allowing a president to serve up to two terms. This change would have made Assoumani eligible for two additional terms.1
• Institutional Changes: The referendum granted the president the authority to dismiss the country's three vice presidents and proposed ending the nation's secular status to designate Islam as the state religion.1
• Democratic Concerns: The referendum followed Assoumani’s controversial suspension of the Constitutional Court, which he labeled as dysfunctional. High-profile opposition figures, including former president Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi, were vocal in their criticism, leading to actions such as house arrest for dissenters and the stripping of ministerial portfolios from government officials who opposed the measure.1

Ultimately, the opposition boycotted the vote, and many leaders disputed the official results, which claimed high turnout and overwhelming support for the changes.1