Opposition presidential candidates call for fair play in February 8 poll

Opposition presidential candidates have called for fairness in the upcoming elections whilst demanding each candidate be accorded security by the state.

In a joint media conference in Mogadishu Thursday, the candidate among them former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed also urged the Presidential Election Committee to ensure the January 30 Presidential debate be aired in the private media alongside the national broadcaster.

Earlier the committee had suggested the debate be broadcast in the national broadcaster -Somali National Television and Radio Mogadishu. Each candidate should also be given equal debate time and response while at the same time the proportion of attendants to the debate must be equally distributed to ensure each candidate get equal representation, the candidate urged.

During the election on February 8, each candidate must be allowed an equal number of agents, the candidates argued adding all efforts must be deployed to rid the process of any malpractices.

The UN and foreign embassies have on several occasions warned the candidates against any electoral malpractices warning the corruption and voter bribery witnessed during the Upper and Lower House elections must cease.

In letter to the candidates seen by Goobjoog News, the UN early this month warned any cases of corruption will jeopardize the incoming administration’s relationship with the international community.

The candidates present during the conference besides Ahmed, Mohamud Ulusow , former envoy to Kenya Mohamed Ali Americo, female president candidate Anab Dahir and former PM Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo among others.

Correction:

In our earlier post we erroneously mentioned former Information Minister Mustaf Dhuhulow as having been present during the conference. The correct position however is that Mustaf Dhuhulow was not present at the conference and more so is not a presidential candidate. We take the earliest opportunity to apologise to Mustaf Dhuhulow and that any inconvenience as a result of the misrepresentation is regretted.

The correct captioning of the picture has therefore been provided above.