Thursday December 24, 2020
MOGADISHU (HOL) - Opppostion groups have urged Federal Member States not to participate in the election of Senators following the announcement of a new timetable by the interim federal elections committee Thursday.
In a strongly worded statement, a caucus of 14 presidential candidates also urged the international community to declare President Mohamed Farmaajo as a ‘spoiler’ noting that he was unilaterally taking decisions on elections.
The statement follows the announcement Wednesday evening by the Federal Indirect Elections Team (FIET) of an electoral timeline. According to the schedule, election of Senators will commence on December 31 through to January 6.
Senators are elected by Federal Member State assemblies. The nomination of delegates who will elect MPs will start from January 7, the committee said but did not fix a date for the actual election of MPs.
The opposition and a section of FMS particularly Jubbaland and Puntland have variously pointed fingers at the president for failing to take into consideration their views on the elections. Of major concern, presidential candidates said, was the appointment of civil servants, security and intelligence officials to the FIET.
They also demanded that the president leaves the selection of Somaliland elections committee to leaders from that region as was the case in 2016.
But Farmaajo has rubbished all these concerns and gone ahead with the committees he appointed. He is contesting for re-election in February.