Somalia’s poll body issues revised elections schedule

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: The FederalIndirect Elections Team (FIET) has released a revised version of the elections timetable with slight adjustments on timelines as the country enters the final stretch towards getting a new president and parliament.

Federal Member State parliaments will elect Senators between July 25 and July 28 and the results will be announced on August 1. Each FMS save for Puntland and Somaliland are allocated eights seats in the 54 member senate. The latter two get 11 seats.

The selection of delegates will run from August 2 through to the 11th. This exercise will be conducted jointly by clan elders and civil society groups in consultation with the Federal Member States. Each MP will be elected by 101 delegates translating to 27,775 electors.

LOWER HOUSE

Those who intend to vie for Lower House seats should submit their names and payments from September 2-7. This will pave way for elections for about three weeks from September 12 to October 2.

The 275 MPs will then be sworn in on October 7 ahead of a joint sitting for the election of a new president on October 10 according to an earlier schedule.

The timetable also provides for a dispute resolution mechanism during the elections period.

Prime Minister Mohamed Roble welcomed the release of the revised schedule. “I commend the electoral schedule released by the Federal Indirect Election Team (FIET) with respect to the election of the Senate and The House of People 2021. I urge stakeholders and partners to support the expeditious organization of the federal elections.”

He called for concerted efforts to realise the aspirations of the ‘Somali people who are waiting for peaceful, transparent, free and fair election’.