Somalia: Outgoing Federal MP accuses Somali leaders of fraud and corruption

GAROWE, Puntland- A parliamentary candidate for the Lower House election, Mahmoud Mohamed Mahmoud aka “Kulalihi” has accused Puntland President Abdiwali Mohamed Ali “Gaas” and caretaker President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of corruption, fraud and interference in the parliamentary election, Garowe Online reports.

Speaking during the campaign speech session before the ballot, Kulalihi said that Puntland President and caretaker Somali President have influenced the electoral process in a bid to rig the election to serve their interests.

During the speech, Kulalihi announced his decision to withdraw from the contest and said that both leaders agreed to stood against his candidacy by using their political connection with Puntland's State-level electoral committee (SIEIT) to prevent him from taking part in the Lower House election.

Kulalihi who served as a lawmaker in the Federal Parliament for more than 10 years, has called the Somali citizens to realize that both leaders didn’t serve the interest of their people, amid fighting, severe droughts and harsh economical conditions faced across the country.

He also accused Puntland President and caretaker President Mohamoud behind the renewed fighting in Galkayo city, saying it is politically motivated to shift public focus.  

Continuing, he later presented a fake Somali shilling notes during the speech, and blamed Puntland government for printing fake currency notes that effected region’s most vulnerable populations the hardest.

He decried for the hard situation faced by security and army forces in Puntland state, as the government failed miserably to pay government salaries and entitlements to the forces for many months.

Somalia’s international partners have repeatedly expressed concerns to the allegation of corruption, harassment and manipulation by Somali officials in the ongoing Somali election and called for decisive actions by the Somali leaders to stop abuse and unfair electoral practices.  

Pundits have predicted that the ongoing Somali election to be the most corrupted process since the collapse of the Somali central government in 1991.

GAROWEONLINE