Wednesday April 21, 2021
MOGADISHU (HOL) - The Somali government has disbanded interim electoral committees on Tuesday following failure by the country's leadership to prepare for indirect elections and the subsequent extension of President Mohamed Farmaajo's stay in office.
Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Guled dissolved the Federal Indirect Elections Team (FIET) and the Elections Complaints and Resolution Committee.
The DPM told the two teams living in Mogadishu hotels for the last six months to vacate their premises by April 25.
The move to dissolve the two committees comes two days after Farmaajo said he welcomed the intervention of the African Union to unlock the ongoing electoral impasses.
"I welcome the African Union to take a leading role in facilitating an election process in which every citizen elects their representatives through free and fair elections. All Somali stakeholders will actively participate in the dialogue on the future of our democracy," Farmaajo said during a meeting with DRC president Felix Tshisekedi.
There have been speculations that the dissolution of the two committees was necessary to pave the way for the AU mediation and build the opposition's confidence in a future electoral process. The opposition critically opposed the composition of the federal elections team and have previously accused Farmajo of packing the committees with intelligence agents and loyalists.
Sources have also opined the decision could be informed by the fact that there was no more need for the committees since elections will be held in two years according to the Lower House resolution mid this month.