Somalia: Electoral dispute body to jointly meet Somali leaders and international partners

MOGADISHU, Somalia- The Independent Electoral Dispute Resolution Mechanism (IEDRM) is scheduled to present its reports on the outstanding cases in a joint meeting with representatives from the international community and the Somali leaders convening the National Leadership Forum in the capital Mogadishu, Garowe Online reports.

UN envoy to Somalia and representatives from the international community have met IEDRM and requested an explanation as how the shortlist of 24 seats under consideration by IEDRM had been reduced to 11 seats, according to a joint statement released by the international partners.   

However, during the meeting, IEDRM chair has expressed concerns from the threats that he and other members of the body are receiving in relation to their ongoing investigations and decision to re-contest the 24 seats.

IEDRM decision to reduce the shortlist of re-contested seats to 11 seats, has instigated heavy criticism from the international community, who urged the body to explain the basis of its decisions on each of the 24 seats.   

“If the decision to re-contest seats appears to be arbitrary, and if the cases widely viewed as most egregious are not included in the list of seats to be re-contested, then the credibility of the electoral process overall, and of the IEDRM specifically, is undermined,” read the statement.

On the other hand, state-level electoral bodies of Puntland and Southwest states have rejected the decision of IEDRM to nullify the results of a total 11 seats from the Lower House election carried out in the regional states in Jubaland, Galmudug, Puntland, Hirshabelle and Southwest.  

This comes amid the preparation to sworn-in the new Federal MPs and Senators in Mogadishu, who are set to vote for the new Speakers of both Houses and new Somali President.  

 GAROWEONLINE