Parlimentary Poll might not take place due to dispute over delegate selection-Law maker

Somalia’s elections cannot take place on the date scheduled due dispute over the 51 delegates within sub-clan, a lawmaker said.

Abdi Barre Yussuf, a Somali lawmaker has expressed  concern over the upcoming elections saying that elections may lead conflict with the clans.

“The parliamentary election might not take place because, there is inter-clan dispute over selection of clan delegates and parliamentary candidates,” said Yussuf.

Somalia delayed elections for a second time due to disputes over the selection process and pushing its parliamentary elections between Oct 23 and Nov 10.

According to Somali electoral commission. the challenges that led to the delay were political, security and management of the election budget.

Though Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud  assured that presidential and parliamentary elections will be organized next November, last week, the U.N. Security Council expressed regret at the delay in presidential and parliamentary elections in Somalia.

Al-Shabab rebels were ousted from Mogadishu in 2011 and have been pushed out of other key cities but they are not yet defeated, and the government remains weak.

In recent months, Al-Shabab, which maintains a military presence largely in rural areas, has stepped up attacks on military bases across large parts of south and central Somalia.

The group vowed to disrupt Somalia’s upcoming elections which scheduled to take place later this year.