PM Roble kicks off tour of FMS to bolster support for upcoming polls

GOOBJOOG NEWS|KISMAYO: Prime Minister Mohamed Roble has kicked off a whirlwind tour of Federal Member States to shore up support for the upcoming presidential candidates.

Roble headed to the coastal city of Kismayo Tuesday alongside some of his ministers where he held talks with president Ahmed Madobe before touring the port of Kismayo. On the second day yesterday, Roble met with Jubbaland leaders from the Gedo region where sources said they discussed the security situation there and preparations for the appointment of a new district commissioner for Gerbaharey district.

According to the May 27 Electoral Agreement in Mogadishu, all the FMS save for Jubbaland were to nominate a district commissioner and deputy and forward the names for subsequent appointment by Madobe as part of a reconciliation process. A team of ministers from Galmudug, HirShabelle, Puntland and South West have since kicked off the process.

Sources close to the PM’s itinerary indicate the PM will be visiting HirShabelle, Galmudug, South West and Puntland as part of confidence and goodwill building measure for the forthcoming polls. Only two FMS leaders- Jubbaland’s Madobe and his Galmudug counterpart Ahmed Qoorqoor are in the country while their counterparts are abroad.

Lower House elections are expected to happen in two towns in each Federal Member State. However, security remains a major risk especially in Barawe, Lower Shabelle which is a polling centre for clans in South West state.

Clan elders and civil society groups will be starting the process of selection of the 27,775 delegates from July 16 through to August 10. The selection of the delegates will then pave way for the election of the 275 members of the Lower House from August 10 to September 10.