Expand poll talks to include all stakeholders- Sen. Faroole

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHUSenator Abdirahman Faroole has called for the inclusion of all key stakeholders in the next phase of electoral talks failure to which the ongoing stalemate will persist.

In a statement to newsrooms Saturday, Senator Faroole said the Federal Government had lost the trust and confidence of the public especially in light of the February 19 incident where security forces openly fired lived bullets at opposition protestors in Mogadishu.

“There is no easy solution or breakthrough of the long-delayed electoral process, without properly considering the grievances of major stakeholders of the electoral process,” the statement read in part.

Faroole who is also the former Puntland president said the views of various stakeholders including Puntland, Jubbaland, the opposition through the CPC and Somaliland representatives must be listened to.

The Council of Presidential Candidates (CPC) has also demanded it be included in the talks.

He also took issue with the September 17, 2020 Agreement noting that the deal reached by outgoing president Mohamed Famraajo and the Federal Member States gave ‘ownership’ of managing the election of 57 lawmakers representing Somaliland to outgoing president Mohamed Farmaajo.

The process, Faroole said should be left to representatives from Somaliland led by Senate speaker Abdi Hashi.

The Senator added that ‘Conference outcome oversight should be under by a committee of the International Community, to assist in breaking the election deadlock’.

The sixth round of talks between Farmaajo and the FMS is set to kick off soon following the expected arrival of Puntland president Abdullahi Deni.