Sections of opposition divided over OPM’s verdict on contested poll members

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Prime Minister Mohamed Roble has flagged 34 names out of a list of 67 presented by the opposition for removal from the state and federal level interim electoral teams sparking mixed reactions from the opposition.

A technical committee appointed by the PM listed the 34 ‘guilty’ of accusations by the Council of Presidential Candidates (CPC). According to CPC, the 67 officials were either intelligence agents, senior civil servants or supporters of outgoing president Mohamed Farmaajo.

But the decision by the OPM to retain 33 other individuals marked for removal by the CPC is now revealing a difference of opinion among members of the opposition.

Wadajir Party leader Abdirahman Abdishakur lashed out at the OPM noting it cannot be the appointee and arbiter in the appointment of the electoral officials adding that some of those retained were intelligence officials.

“We believe that most of the members of the electoral committees who belong to NISA, especially the undercover members, still have a strong presence within the committees. We urge the PM to follow due process use a transparent and impartial manner in addressing the concerns,” Abdishakur said in a tweet.

Ahmed Fiqi (MP) who is also Galmudug security minister and a close ally of former president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud lauded the OPM’s decision. “I am congratulating the work of the committee of minister RW Rooble for the removal of the members of the electoral committee and the decision they made,” Fiqi said in a Facebook post.

The CPC has however not released an official statement on the new changes.

According to the Mogadishu II Agreement on May 27, the PM will now submit the changes to the Federal Government and the Federal Member States for replacements.