MOGADISHU POLL TALKS: What are the sticking points?

As the talks enter day two, Somalis and the international community will be waiting to see the outcome of the meeting which comes in the backdrop of mistrust between the two levels of government.

However Goobjoog News has established around four sticking points which stand between the talks and Somalis casting a vote this year or some time next year.

One of the contentious issues is the role of the electoral commission NIEC. FMS leaders particularly Ahmed Madobe (Jubbaland) and his Puntland counterpart Abdullahi Deni both of whom skipped the Dhusamareb 3 talks don’t want to see the Halima Yarey-led Commission anywhere near the elections. The two leaders who challenged the Dhusamareb model want a temporary polls body to work together with the regional electoral bodies to conduct the upcoming elections.

NIEC was also locked out of the  elections in 2016. Goobjoog News has also learnt Farmaajo is not keen on having NIEC supervise the upcoming poll.

On funding of the elections, Villa Somalia is of the view that funds allocated to NIEC should be used for the upcoming exercise. However, some of the FMS, in their distrust and distaste of the commission don’t even want its money noting the regional governments can marshal enough resources for the exercise.

Both Farmaajo and the FMS leaders agree that political parties should not participate in the upcoming elections. The Elections Act which might have to be shelved and differed until 2024 sets political party system as the basis for elections.

Madobe also had his one condition with Farmaajo which was the withdrawal of Federal troops from Gedi region. It is not clear if that condition was ever met.

Talks continue.