Nine eminent personalities to oversee integrity of Feb 8 Presidential poll

Nine eminent personalities have been selected to oversee the integrity and transparency of the presidential elections slated for February 8.

In a memo Monday, Lower House Speaker Mohamed Osman Jawaari appointed three women and six men among them former presidential candidate Fadumo Dayib and renown scholar Professor Abdi Ismail Samatar.

Others are environmentalist and founder of relief agency ADESO Fadumo Jama Jibril, former agriculture minister Professor Abdi Ahmed Mohamed and head of Somali civil society in Somalia Abdullahi Mohamed Shirwaa.

Professor Mahad Mohamed Hassan, Adan Hassan Abdi, Roble Ahmed Dahir and Shamsa Ibrahim Boolis will also serve in the committee.

Speaker Jawaari said the nine member team is tasked with ensuring the electoral process is transparent and accountable to the people of Somalia. The team will also work closely with the Presidential Election Committee (PEC) to promote an open and transparent process, the speaker said.

The team whose mandate ends after the completion of the election will report any cases of irregularities to the PEC and file a final report on the integrity of the process.

The appointment of the team comes amid rampant cases of corruption and other malpractices in the Lower and Upper House elections which the international community raised grave concerns.

The outcome of the election will not only impact on the new administration but will also be a score card for the international community particularly the UN which has been shepherding the process. The UN warned presidential candidates last month that any involvement in corruption or other malpractices will reflect badly on the new administration and jeorpadize relations with the international community.

The Presidential Election Committee Sunday released a list of 24 candidates who will be contesting in the February 8 poll.