Electoral Sorcery

[Ron Caliburn]

The Comoros has expelled a Tanzanian witch doctor suspected of having been hired to rig weekend elections with his magic, police said Thursday.

The juju man arrived in the Indian Ocean state two weeks ago and was repeatedly seen at the home of Mohamed Abdoulhoihabi, the governor of the archipelago's main island of Grande Comore.

A senior police official who asked not to be named said the Tanzanian citizen was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of working to influence the weekend's polls and was deported on Wednesday.

"He's a friend, he used to come for meals regularly," the governor's wife complained after enquiring about the Tanzanian's fate with the police.

"Nothing is clear or official. We are being told he is a crook but no warrant was issued... Internal security confirmed his arrest and simply told us that witchcraft was banned," she added.

Abdoulhoihabi, once a close aide to Comoran President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi and now an opposition politician, will face a ruling party candidate as he attempts to retain his job on Sunday.

The federation is holding a national presidential ballot on Sunday as well as elections for the posts of governor on each of the three islands: Grande Comore, Anjouan and Moheli.

[Eilonwy Solstice]

Has there been any news on what happened to the witch doctor? Abdoulhoihabi?

[Gotham Witch]

I'm wondering if it worked, or if it was even witchcraft - that's a pretty common charge levied in a lot of places.

[Eilonwy Solstice]

I'm wondering if it worked, or if it was even witchcraft - that's a pretty common charge levied in a lot of places.

Indeed. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about the mystic arts to guess one way or the other with any amount of surety.

[Gotham Witch]

That makes two of us, Wie. I've never actually tried to alter the outcome of an election with magic. That isn't saying it's impossible, but i can't vouch either way.

[Tms3]

nor have I... it is possible in theory but I don't know any one whom has put it to the test. and we are looking at a lot of power to pull it off to... Think about how hard it is to use magic to influence one person... Though that would be a brute force approach.... how about using a spell to give the Candidate a charismatic Aura?