The island nation of Comoros is casting ballots in the second round of parliamentary elections, a vote shadowed by controversy.
At least 340,000 registered voters are heading to polling stations, which opened at 8 a.m. local time and will close at 4 p.m. (0500-1300 GMT).
The Supreme Court has approved 100 candidates to compete for seats in the 33-member parliament, with final results expected later this week.
The first round, held on Jan. 12, was marred by a boycott from the main opposition party, Juwa, which called the process a “farce.”
Despite the absence of its strongest rival, the ruling Convention for the Renewal of the Comoros secured 28 out of 33 parliamentary seats.
Comoros, an archipelago of three islands off Africa’s eastern coast, has endured decades of political turbulence since gaining independence from France in 1975.
The country’s current leader, Azali Assoumani, first took office in 2016 and extended his rule through a 2018 referendum that abolished term limits.
As the nation votes once more, questions loom over its democratic future and the legitimacy of its political process.