Progress reported in FGS-FMS crucial election talks in Somalia

DHUSAMAREB, Somalia - Preliminary reports from Dhusamareeb, the regional capital of Galmudug state, indicate that the meeting between the federal government leadership and member states has made progress on some issues while others are still remaining deadlocked as talks go on.

Multiple sources confined to Garowe Online that good progress has been made on the disputed electoral commissions with leaders agreeing to review it and expel members alleged to be NISA agents and Civil servants as claimed by the opposition.

For several months, the opposition has called for the disbandment of the team, arguing that they were staged by President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo to help him rig elections. The federal government has repeatedly refuted the claims.

Also, the leadership has agreed to reconstitute the electoral committee for Somaliland, which saw Senate Speaker Abdi Hashi appoint a parallel team previously after a disagreement. In the agreement, both Hashi and Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Guled will have representatives.

Talks are still underway on the term of office of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, which is expected to be extended for a technical extension under a new agreement. Farmajo's term ends on February 8 having served four years according to the constitutional order.

On the withdrawal of SNA soldiers from the Gedo region in Jubaland, sources say there is a heated debate on the presence of FGS troops and who will manage the electoral process for the Federal lawmakers in Garbaharey.

Jubaland had called for the withdrawal of the troops, a move which was backed by opposition leaders.

The deployment of an AMISOM police force to Gedo is on the table allow elections to take place in the presence of the Jubaland administration in the region. It is not yet clear where all of these points will be fixed as the conference entered its second day on Thursday.

Amid the ongoing pre-election talks, the international community has asked the two factions to reach a consensus over the issues so that the country goes to an election as scheduled. The country was set to start elections in December but the disagreements led to the standoff.

GAROWE ONLINE