Division on LH electoral procedures ahead of key Somalia summit
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Cracks have appeared in the Federal Election Commission [FIET] on the electoral procedure of the lower house which will be applied during the current legislative elections, which could delay the exercise, which will pave the way for the presidential elections.
In a statement released Tuesday, the FIET team appeared to boycott the electoral procedures initially approved by its office, on the modalities for the conduct of legislative elections in the Horn of Africa country.
The Committee noted that the procedures had not been fully accepted by all members, hence the decision to recall them. This now means that they will have to meet again and come up with new procedures that will work for all parties.
The committee also affirmed that all irresponsibility and consequences will fall on the chairman of the committee, Mohamed Cirro. They also said that the purpose of this procedure is to disrupt the electoral process, further demonstrating the possibility of delaying the exercise.
In the initial procedures, traditional elders and members of civil society were given the power to select the delegates. Each community will need to reserve a seat for women as one of the ways to meet the 30% quota.
Each constituency should have 101 delegates who will choose the members of parliament, who sit in the lower house. Later in October, MPs and Senators will elect the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Committee members opposed to the publication of lower house procedures and demands argue that the time has not yet come to do so, as the upper house elections are not yet over and the heads of the FMS and the Premier Minister will address questions at their meeting on Thursday.
Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble invited FMS and FGS leaders to a summit on Thursday to discuss a number of issues relating to the upcoming parliamentary elections. The prime minister is expected to arrive in the country on Thursday after his trip to Cairo.
Even before the lower house elections kicked off, various states began to indict the candidates. At least $ 10,000 is charged for male applicants, while female applicants must pay $ 5,000 in registration fees.
The move comes when the Union of Presidential Candidates released a statement on Sunday calling for limiting the power of FMS leaders over parliamentary polls. States make decisions about senatorial elections, which take place in regional assemblies.
“The September 17 agreement was already a challenge for the signatories to continue to manage the process with maturity. Now focusing on modifying this agreement in order to gain a tactical advantage over others will be an important step towards electoral fraud and instability, ”he added. former Prime Minister Omar Sharmarke warned the country’s politicians.
Somalia was originally scheduled to hold elections last year in December, but the exercise was delayed following disputes involving FGS and FMS leaders. Outgoing president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo is expected to defend his seat.
AXADLETM
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