Drop civil servants, security agents from poll team, presidential candidates tell Farmaajo

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU:  Opposition presidential candidates led by former presidents Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed have demanded President Mohamed Farmaajo drops names of civil servants and intelligence officials appointed to the interim federal electoral committee.

The 12 leaders meeting in Mogadishu for three days consultative session filed similar demands against president Ahmed Madobe (Jubbaland) and his Puntland counterpart Abdullahi Deni. The two leaders are accused of appointing civil servants to the State Level electoral committees.

The call by the leaders follows a protest letter last week in which they made similar demands. Civil society groups and organisations have also called for the recomposition of the committees. Mogadishu-based think-tank Heritage Institute for Policy Studies (HIPS) last week called for the re-appointment of the elections committees at the state at federal level noting they had been filled with civils servants, security officials and cronies.

The presidential candidates are expected to present a common position on the conduct of elections today when they conclude their meeting.