No progress on the agenda as Somali leaders try to unlock a dead end
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Talks between the federal government of Somalia and federal states resume on Sunday at the Afisiyooni Center inside the airport, a day after both parties disagreed on the meeting agenda as the country longs for a lasting solution to the current election dead end.
Members of the international community have pushed the country’s leadership to agree on the terms of the upcoming election, but for almost ten months, neither of the two disputing sides has yet relinquished ground for election.
On Saturday, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, whose term expired on February 8, chaired a meeting with five regional leaders and the governor of Banadir Omar Filish. This was the first time Farmajo met Said Abdullahi Deni from Northeastern State and Jubaland’s Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe in two months.
The two federal heads of state accuse Farmajo of planning to extend his stay in power by using parliament. They are pushing for the withdrawal of federal troops from Gedo in addition to calling for the dissolution of the current election committee.
Sources told Axadlethat the teams did not agree on the agenda for the meeting, something that could make it difficult for the negotiations to start. Two regional leaders proposed electoral certainty, powers of the expired executive branch, and legislative branches for discussion.
But outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo insisted on implementing the agreement on September 17. It is this agreement that the international community wants to implement, but the government has delayed implementation in unclear circumstances.
Somalia was due to go to the polls from December 2020, but the government has not delivered. There is pressure from the opposition to get the whole government to step down to pave the way for free and fair elections.
AXADLETM
.
