MOGADISHU-Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has on Saturday held a closed door meeting with Union of Presidential Candidates at his official residence to deliberate on the overcoming the challenges of the electoral process and the forthcoming National consultative council forum scheduled on December 27.

The Prime Minister also met with civil rights groups to discuss on how to facilitate the conclusion of the ongoing House of representatives elections which has been marred with increasing concerns of malpractices and riggings.

This even comes as two factions have emerged in Somalia’s Federal Electoral Commission as a group maintain the removal from office their chairman Mohamed Hassan Irro and another group in support of the besieged Chairman.

The chairman has since rubbished reports of his removal and termed it as baseless and misleading and said no meeting was convened today by the members of the body to discuss his conduct.

PM Roble had this week called for a consultative meeting between central government and presidents of the federal member states (FMS) in Mogadishu on Dec 27 after the opposition candidates Council of opposition presidential candidates vowed to boycott the ongoing parliamentary elections in Somalia alleging that the elections have been hijacked and that there are wanton corruption and malpractices in the exercise.

The 15 member council said in a statement early this month that the ongoing House of representatives elections could plunge the volatile country into unprecedented chaos and mayhem if their concerns about the transparency of the process are not addressed immediately.

They outlined that they will not take part in the elections terming it a ‘naked daylight robbery’ and illegality in the thick of growing concerns on the new decision taken by the council which political pundits say will bring forth an uncertainty on the electoral process of the country.