PM Roble, FMS leaders to sign electoral deal in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - After about one week of intensive talks over the future of Somalia, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble will take credit today [Thursday], following a major agreement with several stakeholders on the future of the country and prolonged pre-election stalemate.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo whose term expired on Feb 8, is expected to join other top politicians in Mogadishu later on today, where they will sign the deal that would pave way for elections in the country which have been delayed for several months.

The real-time is yet to be revealed but former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud are expected to join the rest of the leadership in affirming the deal, which was crafted by federal states and leaders from FGS among them PM Roble.

With the international community pushing for an amicable agreement, Farmajo rescinded term extension before entrusting the PM with negotiation responsibilities. Many opposition leaders seemingly looked comfortable working with Roble than Farmaajo.

Despite preparations for the signing ceremony, a key issue - the election management of the MPs representing Somaliland, remains unresolved per reports. The Somaliland Political Council issued a statement saying they have neither been part of nor consulted on resolving the issue.

In the statement by Somaliland political council, a coalition of lawmakers and senators from northwest Somalia warned that they will be boycotting the outcome of the electoral talks in Mogadishu, something which could paralyze the agreement.

The council argued that their calls for Senate Speaker Abdi Hashi to be responsible for the election of the parliamentarian members from the northern regions of Somalia had not been answered. Hence, in advance, the Council affirmed that they will not accept the outcome of that meeting.

Some reports indicated that the Speaker of the Somali Upper House, Abdi Hashi is satisfied with the share given to the Electoral Commission at the Mogadishu conference but pressure from his confidants could lead to rejection of the electoral deal.

Hashi, who is the senior-most politician from Somaliland, a region that declared self-independence in 1991, is fighting for supremacy with Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Gulaid, who also wants to control the exercise in the breakaway region.

It's expected that the agreement will contain the time frame for elections, names of those mandated to conduct the elections among other topical issues such as the role of the military in the exercise. The opposition had initially accused Farmajo of plotting to rig.

GAROWE ONLINE