Somalia PM holds talks with Galmudug leader over election standoff

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's PM Mohamed Hussein Roble arrived in Dhusamareeb, the capital of Galmadug, after a three-day trip to Puntland amid a pre-election crisis in the country with opposition candidates accusing the government of "planned rigging" of elections.

At the airport, the PM and his delegation have been welcomed by the state leader Ahmed Abdi Kariye [Qoor-Qoor] and escorted to the regional presidential palace, where both sides are holding talks on the election deadlock.

For the three days, Roble, who took over from Hassan Ali Khaire, met Said Abdullahi Deni, the Puntland president where they discussed a host of issues including the upcoming elections, security, and close cooperation of the state with the federal government in Mogadishu.

But his efforts to persuade Puntland to pick regional electoral officials seem to have failed miserably after Deni insisted that the polls can only go on after the federal government has withdrawn troops from Gedo, a region within Jubaland, where the government is seeking control.

Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe, a close ally of Deni, has previously insisted that the polls will not take place in his region until the FGS hands a number of administrative units to the local leadership. Deni also asked the federal government to allow Somaliland to chose its own electoral committee members without interference.

And after the mission of mixed fortunes in Garowe, Roble was accompanied by Deni to the Garowe Airport where he left with his delegation for Dhusamareeb, a town in Galmadug, where the Government has huge influence given the outcome of recent elections that were held in January.

Hours later, the PM and his delegation touched down in Dhusamareb city from Garowe. He was received by Galmudug leader Ahmed Kariye alias Qoorqoor and other regional officials at the airport, and he's expected to hold a number of meetings from today touching on elections, security, and development.

Kariye is a close ally of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and he's one of the leaders who a section of regional leaders and the opposition have been accusing of working with Villa Somalia to scuttle the common national agenda for the people of Somalia.

Before the September pre-election deal in Mogadishu, all the regional leaders, the Mogadishu Mayor Omar Filish and President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo gathered in Dhusamareeb for pre-election talks. The outcome was disowned by Jubaland and Puntland.

GAROWE ONLINE