Somalia PM declares government will hold unilateral elections

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Despite the ongoing wrangles over the upcoming elections in Somalia, PM Roble has continued to pledge to hold polls in 3 Federal States and Mogadishu, arguing that the country cannot afford to delay further the voting exercise.

The Prime Minister made the announcement after holding a closed-door meeting with the leaders of Galmudug, HirShabelle, and Southwest States Ahmed Abdi Karie [Qor-Qor], Ali Gudlawe, and Abdiaziz Lafta-Garen respectively at his office on Friday night.

The mayor of Mogadishu Omar Filish was also in attendance at the election talks, according to a statement released by the PM's office on Saturday.

The government will go ahead with plans to hold the parliamentary elections in the three Federal States and the capital, whose leaders are a close ally of outgoing President Farmajo. This means that the next polls will not be held in Jubaland and Puntland.

The PM's decision comes amid a deepening political crisis in the country as stakeholders deadlocked over the election process with the opposition accusing Villa Somalia of trying to rig the votes by forming a "biased'" electoral body made up of spy agents, civil servants, and Farmajo's cronies. 

The Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has and International partners have similarly called for an urgent meeting involving all political stakeholders to resolve recurring disagreements over the electoral process and other issues.

Already, the tenure of parliament has lapsed but the country is yet to hold elections for the legislators, with both the government and the opposition trading accusations, something which could further derail the process and possibly plunge the country into chaos.

While the government insists that elections ought to be conducted in compliance with the September pre-election deal, the opposition has accused the team of insincerity, arguing that most of those in the polls committee are spy agents, civil servants, and loyalists of President Farmajo.

Equally, the team has also been pushing for the withdrawal of troops from the Gedo region within Jubaland. The government had pledged to withdraw them but to date, nothing significant is yet to take place, resulting in pressure from opposition leaders who want the deal honored.

The PM has been meeting several stakeholders including the Puntland President Said Deni and his Galmadug counterpart Qor-Qor, who has been pursuing dialogue to unravel the stalemate which threatens integration of the country.

Initially, elections were scheduled to start in December last year but the process has been delayed due to outstanding issues that are yet to be solved. The government of Somalia is under immense pressure to fulfill her pledges of overseeing a smooth transition.

GAROWE ONLINE