Finally, Farmaajo, FMS leaders sit for poll talks in Mogadishu

Electoral talks between president Mohamed Farmaajo and Federal Member State presidents have kicked off in Mogadishu after several delays.

Sources from Villa Somalia said the meeting has just convened and is attended by all the Federal member State leaders and Banaadir Regional Administration Governor Omar Filish. The meeting has now been postponed three times amid differences between the president and the FMS leaders.

Jubbaland’s Ahmed Madobe and his Puntland counterpart Abdullahi Deni who skipped the Dhusamarabe III meeting had put in a set of demands before the meeting kicks off including expanding the role of the regional governments and leaving out the National Independent and Boundaries Commission (NIEC) from the upcoming elections.

Madobe had also demanded that Farmaajo pulls out troops from Gedo region and relinquish federal authority in the local administrations there.

The leaders are expected to agree on an electoral model for the upcoming polls.

More to follow.