Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Somali parliamentarians during a vote. FILE PHOTO
Somalia's electoral body said there would be no extension to the Lower House election, which kicked off on Sunday amid prediction of fierce competition.
Omar Mohamed Abdulle, chairman of the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team, said in a statement that the lower house election would last until Nov. 10.
"We have started registration of aspirants vying for parliamentary seats," Abdulle said, adding they would stick to its announced timetable for the vote.
Abdulle said stiff competition was expected during the election given the large number of contestants who are taking part. "Initially we expected to have two or three aspirants per seat but we have more than that," he said.
With parliamentary elections underway for both the lower and upper houses, newly-elected lawmakers are expected to choose a president on Nov. 30.
Abdulle said 200 local and international observers had been accredited to monitor the process, while most of the logistical requirements were in place.
He also said a 30-percent quota for women in the lower house would be met.
Abdulle said a number of women had been elected senators in the upper house to represent federal states, adding that number had exceeded the expectation of the electoral body.