MOGADISHU– The international community has expressed their reservations over the credibility of the ongoing parliamentary elections, calling for the elections to be transparent and fair to all stakeholders and the Somali people.
In a statement posted on their official Twitter, the Intel partners urged the government of Somalia to expedite the elections and include all the stakeholders in coming up with an acceptable elections for the Somali people.
In a joint statement issued today #Somalia's International partners call for credible, transparent, inclusive and acceptable House of the People #elections in #Somalia. Read the full statement here: https://t.co/dBABLe0WSd pic.twitter.com/gFOxaiMYAY
— UNSOM (@UNSomalia) November 26, 2021
“We call for full transparency in all related processes, including selection committee appointments, delegates selection, candidate registration, the reservation of seats for women candidates, to comply with the agreed 30 percent quota, and the management of candidate fees.
We further call on the electoral committees to facilitate observation of all polling station activities.”read in part.
They also called on electoral officials to observe and uphold rights of candidates in the elections and lodge formal complaints with relevant authorities if the electoral process is fallacious.
The statement was signed by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ethiopia, European Union (EU), Finland, France, Germany, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, League of Arab States (LAS), Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Russian Federation, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, and United Nations.
The statement comes as the election of members of the House of people was shielded with malpractices and obstruction of some of the candidates running for the people’s house.
Reacting to a joint press statement released by international partners calling for credible elections, Wadajir party leader and presidential hopeful Abdirahman Abdishakur insinuated that their is no credible and transparent elections and called for an all inclusive poll.
There is no credible, transparent & inclusive elections. What's happening instead is rigging by the use of force. Those who responsible the rigging have refused to heed all calls to desist it. They will shoulder the responsibility for this, as the Somali people will resist it. https://t.co/CQtVC1va5P
— Abdirahman Abdishakur (@AAbdishakur) November 26, 2021
He accused the electoral commission and current regime led by President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble of conniving in compromising the credibility and outcome of the ongoing House of people elections.
This comes even as former speaker of House of representatives Mohamed Jawari was yesterday blocked from contesting for MP in Baidoa by allegedly Southwest State leader Abdiaziz Lafta-Garen who is a close ally of president Farmaajo.
