Parallel FEIT team plans to hold 16-seat election in Garbaharey

GOOBJOOG NEWS/MOGADISHU:  A team comprising members of the Federal Election and Implementation Team (FEIT) and Dispute Resolution Committee arrived in Garbaharey, the regional capital of Gedo yesterday.

According to the team, the purpose of their visit was to assess the readiness of the town for elections and to lay down a framework on how to hold parliamentary elections in the region.

The recent turn of events signifies a sharp division within the Federal electoral body as the chairman of the FEIT, accompanied by members of his team are in Kismayo seeking to hold the 16-seat election in the new location, Elwak.

Abdiweli Mohamud Elmi, one of the members of the team and also the finance chief at the FEIT committee, said his team was up to the task and were now working to ensure that the seats earlier scheduled for Garbaharey are not moved elsewhere.

“We are the FEIT and Dispute Resolution Committees. We have reached the town of Garbaharey with 6 members of the FEIT committee and 4 members of the Dispute Resolution Committee,” said Abdiweli.

“The decision made on the 14th of this month by the FEIT to announce the transfer of the constituency for the second Jubaland elections to Elwak was not an official decision of the commission, and no committee has yet to make a decision. The commission does not have the power to change the legal environment,” added Abdiweli.

In his closing remarks, Abdiweli said the team had already started the preparations for the elections in Garbaharey, and will soon release the election timetable.