By Suleiman Sabdow
Kismayo– Jubaland regional president Ahmed Mohamed Islam Ahmed Madobe has on Tuesday release names of the candidates who will be contesting for the remaining four federal senatorial seats of the federal government.
Eight candidates will vie for the four seats, and two of those seats will be reserved for four women candidates. Jubaland is yet to elect a woman to the Upper House of the Federal parliament despite committing to observing a 30% requisite of the quorum for female senators.
Waxaan caawa dhamaystiray liiska musharaxiinta afartii xubnood ee ka dhimanayd xubna ku matali doona Dowlada Jubaland Aqalka Sare ee Baarlamaanka federaalka Soomaaliya. pic.twitter.com/Pb80IkJbUB
— Ahmed Sheikh Mohamed Islam (@PresidentMadobe) October 18, 2021
Jubaland was the first Federal Member State to start electing senators to Somalia’s next parliament. However, the process has been marred with postponement since it began in late July.
Somalia’s Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has urged the leaders of Somalia’s regional states to expedite the elections of the Upper House senators so that the attention can now be fully directed shift to the compounded process of electing MPs to the lower House.
The international community and the UN has been calling on the federal government to fastrack the elections with constant squabble between contestors ruining the electoral process. is also concerned about electoral delays.
The US State Department after meeting with minster for Foreign Affairs Mohamed Abdirizack Mohamud last week exhorted Somalia to hold elections by the close of this year. although that seems highly unlikely.
President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble have been wrangling over the case of allegedly slain spy agent Ikran Tahlil Farahwho was abducted near the Somalia National intelligence Headquarters in June that has caused a public outcry across the globe which has hampered the expedition of the disputed elections.
