Somali presidential candidates to seek public endorsement in TV debate today

Presidential candidates will today appear before the public through television debates to further press their cause for election after a three day presentation to a joint seating of the Federal Parliament.

Last week the scheduled public debate failed to take place after the opposition candidates boycotted the event for what they termed as bias in transmission and selection of members of the public who would participate.

Somalia’s bicameral parliament has approved the public debate to take place today, a move welcomed by Presidential Election Committee (PEC).

According to the PEC, the 23 candidates will be divided into two groups by alphabetical order.

The debate will be beamed live to all local TV stations and radios station, according the parliament leadership.

A select group of members of the public drawn from diverse backgrounds will attend the debate and will participate in questioning the candidates.

The venue for Somalia’s presidential election was moved from the police academy to inside the Mogadishu airport due to concerns about security and possible corruption raised by opposition candidates.

Somalia’s newly inaugurated Federal Parliament comprising of 275 lower house seats and 54-member senate will vote for the President in a secret ballot.

The country will hold its presidential election on Wednesday after months of delays in a tortuous process for the Horn of Africa nation.