Saturday, November 26, 2016
UNISOM soldiers guarding a stronghold in Barawe in October [Getty]
Accusations of corruption have surrounded Somalia’s first ever set of elections, as around 13,000 people cast their votes for a new parliament.
The Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation team (FIEIT) and Independent Electoral Disputes Resolution Mechanism (IEDRM) have both reported irregularities in the election process, with widespread accusations of bribery.
“The FIEIT and the IEDRM are concerned by allegations of malpractices,” the two organisations said in a joint statement.
“When investigations confirm that serious malpractices have occurred, the FIEIT and the IEDRM will take appropriate and decisive actions.
“Such actions can and will include nullification of the election results and disqualification of candidates who have committed the malpractices."
There is a national quota of 30 percent for women who must be voted as MPs, however many experts do not expect this quota to be met.