Farmajo asks FMS to honour election deal in Somalia amid rift

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Jubaland, and Puntland should reconsider their positions and honor the pre-election deal that was signed in September, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has said, adding that the country is ready for the electoral process that is scheduled to start this month until February next year.

But despite the deal which was assented to by the two states and other stakeholders, the elections are yet to start after opposition candidates and the two states called for the total overhaul of the electoral committee, whose members are accused of being Farmajo's loyalists and, or agents of the National Intelligence Security Agency [NISA].

And Farmajo, who seems to be satisfied with the team, now says the two states should stop dragging the country back, arguing that the stalemate is "exaggerated by detractors" who he did not mention. This was the first time the president was questioning the delays from the three states.

In a statement, the office of the president said the government is committed to the agreement and will ensure it is implemented and called on the two regional states to do their part. The two are yet to constitute regional teams which are important in staging the exercise which was to start on December 1, 2020.

“We are committed to fully implement the elections agreement and avoid a delay of the election timetable. Towards this end, we call on the regional states yet to complete their representatives in the election implementation committees to do so,” read the statement from the office of the president.

Farmajo commended the government of Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble on its efforts in the elections, encouraging the government to double those efforts. The PM has insisted that the polls will go on as scheduled despite the pressure from the opposition.

Already, the government has warned the opposition against holding parallel elections after the team of 14 presidential candidates announced a parallel team that they insisted will hold elections. The team said Farmajo should take responsibility for the consequences that would follow.

The team dubbed the parallel Committee as "national rescue Committee" but names of those appointed were not immediately available. But the government insists that such a move will trigger chaos and instability and probably, erode gains made so far.

Information Minister Osman Dubbe dismissed the move, describing the announcement as a farce and warning the candidates against creating unnecessary political tensions in the country. He is a close ally of Farmajo, who is seeking a second term in office.

This comes hours after Jubaland released a statement defending her position that elections will not go on across several constituencies especially in the Gedo region. The federal government, Jubaland said, must first withdraw troops from Gedo besides reinstating local officials who had been de-whipped for standing in solidarity with Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe.

Also, Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni on Monday backed Jubaland when he addressed Somali Partnership Conference, insisting that the federal government must withdraw troops from Gedo for the two states to honor the pre-election deal that they had signed.

Further, Deni argued that the electoral commission should reflect a national picture by being all-inclusive, adding that Somaliland should also be allowed to pick her representatives. Both Deni and Madobe are fierce critics of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo.

GAROWE ONLINE