Hashi names parallel poll team for Somaliland

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU:   Upper House speaker Abdi Hashi has appointed a parallel 8 member committee to oversee the election of MPs representing Somaliland in what is likely to herald a new clash with Villa Somalia which has already announced a similar committee.

Hashi who had protested the appointment of an earlier committee by Prime Minister Mohamed Roble said Saturday he was duly within the 2016 and 2020 political agreements by the Federal Government and the Federal Member States. The agreements vested authority on the Federal Member States to appoint their own committees.

The move by the Hashi who has for some time now been at loggerheads with Villa Somalia will likely open another round of disputes even as the country is running out of time to conduct elections. Hashi has the backing of opposition presidential candidates and political parties both of which have demanded that Farmaajo leave the Somaliland assignment for Hashi who is the seniormost elected official from the break-away region.

The appointment happened the same day a three days consultative meeting bringing together 12 presidential candidates kicked off in Mogadishu.

The committee is comprised of Mohamed Ali Abdullahi, Fahad Haji Yusuf, Aden Farah Ibrahim, Saynab Abib Aqli, Nahima Ali Obsiye, Khalid Ibrahim Ahmed, Ayub Yusuf Salah and Ismail Hassan Abdullahi.