MOGADISHU-Somalia’s foreign diplomats and partners in a press statement in Mogadishu on Thursday welcomed the convening of the National consultative council meeting on December 27th and reiterated the call for full transparency in Somalia’s disputed election after opposition candidates threatened to boycott the result over malpractices and lack of transparency.
In a joint statement, #Somalia’s international partners today welcomed plans to hold an in-person National Consultative Council meeting focused on improving and expediting the country's #electoral process. Read more here: https://t.co/rztiiEd0bM pic.twitter.com/kD6960Dxl8
— UNSOM (@UNSomalia) December 23, 2021
On the other hand Somalia presidential candidates have also welcomed the move and said they will support any attempts to resolving the electoral stand- off facing the country.
Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble had called for a National consultative meeting between the central government and presidents of the federal member states (FMS) in Mogadishu on Dec 27 after the opposition candidates vowed to boycott the outcome of the ongoing
Parliamentary elections which they alleged have been marred by malpractices and riggings.
According to a statement from the office of the Prime Minister, the National consultative forum is aimed at deliberating on ways of expediting, streamlining and concluding the ongoing Lower House elections which has been engulfed with stalemate since its commencement a month ago.
Ra’iisul Wasaaraha XFS Mudane Maxamed Xuseen Rooble, ayaa ku casuumay Madaxda Golaha Wadatashiga Qaranka in ay isugu yimaadaan shir 27-ka bishan December, 2021 ka dhici doona magaalada Muqdisho,kaas oo looga arrinsanayo dardar gelinta,toosinta & dhammeystirka doorashooyinka dalka pic.twitter.com/TMa3rnZsnO
— OPM Somalia ?? (@SomaliPM) December 21, 2021
Somalia’s union of presidential candidates had this month called for a national consultative forum to chart the way forward on the current electoral stalemate the Horn of Africa Nation is going through after their repeated calls for the halting of the process hit a snag.
The council had vowed to oppose the outcome of the elections which they said is being hijacked by people loyal to president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and decried about what they termed as “naked riggings” and violations of the electoral regularities saying that the electoral commission and the Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble have failed to hear their grievances about holding a transparent and free and fair elections.
“It is clear to the council that no one is responsible for stopping the electoral fraud and taking corrective measures. It is also clear that the federal and state government officials are not interested in a free and transparent election, in order to save the country from political and security instability,” read the statement in part.
The Union further said that it is committed to ensuring that the country holds a credible elections and would not sit on their laurels as the country thrusts into uncertainty in the coming days and would take measures to salvage the country from the current quagmire that has clouded the ongoing parliamentary elections.
The council had also outlined that they are appointing a Conference Organizing Committee and a Conference Security Committee to mobilize an upcoming conference which they said is aimed at resolving contentious issues bedeviling the electoral process of the country.
The statement from the Prime Minister Roble comes hot on the hools of a stand- off amongst the electoral commission whose section of it lamented about dismissal of the seven members of the Elections Dispute Resolution Committee including its chairman of the following widespread criticism and concerns over the Committee’s handling and management of election cases while another factions is supporting the decision of the PM Roble to sack the committee.
