Amid complaints over influence of poll process, FMS leaders withdraw role in delegates selection

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Federal Member State presidents will not have a hand in the selection of delegates who will elect MPs in what is seen as a confidence measure following their heavy hand in the senate elections.

A meeting between Prime Minister Mohamed Roble and FMS leaders resolved  Sunday the exercise will only be the reserve of clan elders and civil society organisations. According to a communique from the two days, meeting, elders registered by the Federal Government will jointly with civil society organisations select the delegates.

Each sub-clan will have a civil society representative who will select the delegates. The list of the delegates will later be verified by the State Indirect Elections Team (SIET) in each regional state. The decision to lock out FMS leaders is in concert with rules of procedure issued last week by the Federal Indirect Elections Team (FIET).

Absenting FMS leaders from the process is a step in clipping their influence on who becomes a member of parliament and subsequently president. The ongoing senate elections in the FMS parliaments have been marked by overriding influence by FMS leaders through a selection of allies and loyalists.

The record withdrawal of candidates especially in South West and Puntland demonstrated the efforts to allow favoured candidates to sail through without any resistance.

The communique further directed that delegates for Somaliland and the Banaadiri community in Mogadishu be selected by commonly agreed elders and the list be verified by the Office of the Prime Minister.

The meeting also directed that the elections budget committee be comprised of members from the OPM and regional governments.