Somalia's presidential candidates reject Lower House election procedures

The candidates held a meeting in Mogadishu on Monday to reject the new poll framework [Photo: Online]

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Union of Presidential Candidates in Somalia [UPC] has rejected the recently prepared election procedures for Lower House elections, terming them "unconstitutional" in what could delay the ongoing preparations for polls in the country.

In a press release, the union dismissed the new procedures which will govern the polls terming them "unconstitutional" and against the May 27 deal, which stipulates the 135 elders serve as the basis for the selection of delegates in the country.

The candidates also rejected the decision to hand over the poll process to the FMS leaders, adding that the new procedures contradict the constitution and the May 27 deal. They warned of the consequences of the Lower House vote procedure.

They added that the election is not going in the right direction as the political leaders changed all agreed terms of the electoral agreement.

Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also said the opposition will not accept the Lower House election arguing that it will be biased in someone's favor. He called for a free and fair election in Somalia in accordance with the constitution and May 27 electoral agreement.

The former president also reminded FGS-FMS leaders that allowing the poll process to be mishandled can result in negative consequences. "There is no trustworthy person but a system," said the former president, who served from 2012-17 when the country was implementing the federal system.

The FMS leaders and the union of presidential candidates convened an emergency meeting in Mogadishu shortly after the presidential candidates objected to the LH MPs' procedures for holding elections in the country.

Earlier, Wadajir party leader Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame poked holes in the Lower House procedures, arguing that should not require ballot boxes, arguing that the recent senatorial elections proved that there was no need for polls in the country.

"A friend of mine who is an official from the international community told me that the ballot boxes they donated to Somalia have gone to waste since no voting took place in Senate election. I don't expect the protocols that were signed today [Sunday] will require ballot boxes," he argued.

The latest twist could derail the implementation of the electoral exercise, which has already kicked off in some states. A number of states, however, are yet to hold senatorial elections, which were supposed to start on July 25th this year.

Later in October, both senators and Members of Parliament will participate in the elections of the president. The current President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo was supposed to seek reelection in February when his term expired.

GAROWE ONLINE