Somalia: Jubaland president appoints electoral commission

KISMAYO, Somalia - The president of Somalia's southern Federal State, Jubaland Ahmed Madobe has announced a new electoral commission on Saturday, Garowe Online reports.

According to a presidential decree published on March 23, Madobe appointed the seven-member Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission ahead of August 2019 polls.

The regional state parliament has on Sunday unanimously endorsed the sole female member of the committee which is assigned to prepare a free and fair presidential election for Jubbaland.

The appointment comes following an agreement between the state and the country's Federal Government signed in Kismayo this month which ends the worst-ever political rift.

The current Jubaland president is seeking the third term in office and will compete against several candidates, including Mogadishu-backed contenders who are running for the seat.

The upcoming election is set to take place in the southern port city, Kismayo which was liberated by the Kenyan forces, along with Madobe's militia from Al-Shabaab in 2012.

Jubaland is stretching along the entire Kenyan border, creating a buffer zone for Nairobi to protect the cross-border terrorist attacks from the Somalia-based Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab group.

Kenya suffered the far-reaching effects of repeated attacks since troops crossed into Somalia in mid-2011 to fight Al-Shabaab following a series of kidnappings in its soil.

GAROWE ONLINE