Somalia: Speaker Madobe puts an end to the contentious Gedo election
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GAROWE ONLINE
- Posted On 09-05-2022, 09:52AM
MOGADISHU, Somalia - Newly elected Lower House legislators from the troubled Gedo region have been admitted to the chambers, effectively ending the electoral impasse which had locked the Horn of Africa nation, that is almost going to presidential polls.
Gedo elections particularly at Garbaharey and El-Wak had put the office of the Prime Minister and Villa Somalia at loggerheads, raising fears that the country will struggle to complete the elections after a long process.
In a statement certified by House speaker Aden Sheikh Madobe, the leadership insisted the 16 MPs elected in Gedo's El-Wak town had gone through all the requisite steps that had been laid down by the Federal Elections Implementation Committee [FEIT].
In fact, despite the pressure from Villa Somalia, FEIT had also certified the elections in which Jubaland authorities under Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe had a keen interest, pitting him at loggerheads with outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo.
Madobe, a critic of outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, insisted that Villa Somalia should keep off the exercise in favour of democracy in the region. There are 32 MPs elected from the Gedo constituency in El-Wak and Garbaharey.
In a statement, Farmajo who is seeking re-election had termed elections in the region as "illegitimate". Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble had been pushing for an expedited conclusion of the electoral exercise due to pressure from members of the international community.
The committee in charge of a presidential election has set aside May 15th as the date for the elections of the country's top leadership. There are over 15 presidential candidates but only nine have so far been cleared to run for the election.
Already cleared are former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, who is tipped as the most likely favoured candidate. Farmajo has lost control of both the Lower House and Senate of the country.
GAROWE ONLINE
