Ex-PM: Why I don't want FGS representatives in polls committee

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Former immediate Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has joined the growing list of local leaders opposed to the list of electoral committee officials which was submitted by the Federal Government of Somalia, citing a host of issues including but not limited to integrity.

Khaire was unceremoniously hounded out of office in July this year after his agitation for timely elections, and would later be replaced by Mohamed Hussein Roble, an engineer who is considered a political whimp gave that he's a newcomer in Somalia's tough local politics.

In a statement on Tuesday, the former Prime Minister revealed for the first time that he's one of the 12 presidential candidates who had signed a communique that opposed the names submitted by Villa Somalia, arguing that the list was already compromised.

"I am one of the candidates who signed the communiqué dated 10/11/2020 titled “The Position and Decision of Somali Presidential Candidates to Participate in the 2020/21 Elections," he said, adding that he had expressed concerns over the FG's handling of the elections.

Most of the candidates had insisted that those picked by the federal government to lead the exercise had closed links with the spy agency NISA. However, Villa Somalia had vehemently defended the decision to pick the six civil servants, arguing that they were "diligent" members of the society.

But Khaire, who announced his presidential candidature in September, insisted that the six members of the polls committee are not supposed to be part of the team planning for elections over their links to the security forces in Somalia.

"While I believe that the security forces have a very important national duty and deserve our respect and dignity, it is not right for them to be part of an independent electoral commission," said the former PM, who has been planning his campaigns in Nairobi, Kenya.

He also faulted the decision by Villa Somalia to pick the representatives from secessionist Somaliland, arguing that the state should be allowed to pick committee members on her own. Somaliland however, runs a separate government without Mogadishu's input.

"I believe that the Steering Committee for the Northern Regions of Somaliland should be managed in a consensual, respectful manner, following the agreement reached between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Regional Administrations in Mogadishu on 26 September 2020," he noted.

GAROWE ONLINE