Lower House elections kick off in Puntland today

 

Delegates are this morning heading to two polling stations in Puntland as elections for the Lower House kick off in the regional state, the first to conduct the exercise.

Goobjoog News correspondent in the administrative capital Garowe where the elections will take place reports security within the election centres has been beefed up with Puntland security agencies manning key entry points.

“In each of the two polling stations, there are four check points where delegates have to be confirmed and frisked before they are allowed into the centre,” our correspondent says.

The elections were set to start between October 23 and November 10 but the polls body FIEIT indicated it had to conduct registration of candidates and orientation on polling procedures before the actual voting could start.

All sub clans in Puntland are allocated 35 members of parliament. Voting for the first 12 MPs is expected to be concluded today.

The voting venues, East Africa University and Puntland State University have closed sessions for students to allow the electoral exercise to be conducted, our correspondent says.