Ex-president: Somalia risks plunging into chaos

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Former Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says the country risks plunging into chaos due to mismanaged polls, which have been widely condemned by members of the opposition, who decried lack of transparency and credibility.

The country is holding Lower House elections where 101 delegates from each MP of the 275 seats, who together with the 55 Senate seats will also elect the president of the federal government of Somalia in coming weeks. Senators also participate in the exercise.

The opposition candidates have boycotted the exercise, terming it "biased and polluted". The international community wants the exercise to end as soon as possible for the sake of stability in the country.

In a pace discussion hosted by Garowe Online on Saturday night, Mohamud said Somalia could lose the confidence of the international community, adding that it could follow Libya and Afghanistan. This year, the Afghanistan government was overthrown by the Taliban.

"If elections do not happen well in Somalia, we shall lose support from international partners and we risk plunging the country to what happened in Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, and Ethiopia. This erodes gains we've made in state-building," he said.

"The extension does not have legitimacy and consensus. But the current election which does not have legality should have consensus and inclusivity," added the former president, who is seeking to dethrone outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo.

He accused outgoing president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo of being responsible for delaying elections, adding that several laws have been violated in the process. He said the president was keen to install his people in Lower House so that they assist him in getting reelected.

Despite the challenges, he noted, the people of Somalia are headed in the right direction, adding that their resilience is unmatched. He asked Farmaajo to respect the rule of law for the sake of stability and prosperity.

"Despite the challenges in state-building, the country and its people are thriving in the positive direction and we must all conserve the gains in the fragile system, " said the former president, who has announced his bid of running for the presidency.

When asked about a list of NISA members published by Garowe Online who the leaders at Villa Somalia want to join the next parliament, the ex-president said those on the criminal record will be held accountable one day.

GAROWE ONLINE