Incumbent Comoros President and presidential candidate for the Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros (CRC) party, Azali Assoumani (center), speaks to the media after casting his ballot at the Mitsudje public school polling station in Moroni on Jan 14, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

MORONI - Comoros kicked off its first round of the presidential election on Sunday to select the national leader from among six candidates, including incumbent President Azali Assoumani, for the next five years.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 338,940 registered voters among the roughly 900,000 total population are expected to cast their ballots at 868 polling stations across the country from 7 am to 6 pm local time.

Traffic in the country is strictly regulated on Sunday, allowing only vehicles with a pass to circulate.

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Provisional results may be announced Monday by the country's electoral commission.

If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the votes, the two candidates with the highest number of votes will proceed to a runoff round on Feb 25.