FGS Rubbishes Jubaland’s New Elections Committee, Says Move Violates Deal on Universal Elections

GOOGBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The Federal Government has dismissed as ‘illegal’ a decision by Jubaland President to form an electoral committee in preparations for elections this month.

In a terse statement, the Ministry for Interior and Federalisation said the formation of the elections committee violated the National Consultative Council agreement last month which called for a unified election season based on universal suffrage.

The NCC meeting which Madobe skipped set the Federal Member State elections for August 2025 in what would end the disparate election timelines by FMS. The NCC also resolved that elections at federal and state levels would be conducted by the National Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission. Both Jubaland and Puntland did not take part in the talks.

The Ministry of Interior also rebuked Madobe noting that his stay in office lapsed in August 2023 and that he was now in office ‘courtesy of political agreements.’

Madobe was re-elected in September 2019 for a four year term. However in 2022, he secured a one year extension. Later in July 2023, the state parliament amended the constitution to scrap term limits and extended the terms of both parliament and the president from four to five years.

On Sunday, Madobe announced a seven member committee to oversee the elections of parliament and a new president.