Somalia election on track, official says

By ABDULKADIR KHALIF

Organisers of Somalia’s much-delayed elections say the polls have picked up the “right pace”, assuring citizens that they will meet the February 25 deadline to conclude voting.

Ahmed Safina, the Spokesperson of the Federal Electoral Implementation Team (FEIT), the top-most committee assigned to manage the elections in Somalia, said the polls team will, by Thursday, complete the election of the first 100 of 275 legislators in the Lower House.

“FEIT is going to complete the election of 100 legislators to the House of People on Thursday,” Safina announced.

He spoke in Mogadishu after four MPs were elected by delegates representing Somaliland in the Somali capital.

“We (all Somali election stakeholders) are pleased that delegates and teams representing the Northern regions (also referred as Somaliland) are the most dynamic of the constituencies,” he said.

Somalia’s five Federal Member States (FMS)—Puntland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle, South West and Jubbaland—as well as the capital Mogadishu, have been instructed to complete the election of legislators in the Lower House by February 25.

The instructions were issued by the National Consultative Council (NCC), chaired by the Prime Minister Hussein Roble, through a communiqué issued on January 9.

Mr Safina said he foresees that the election will be completed before end of February as projected.