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MOGADISHU, Somalia – The conference convened by Somalia’s opposition leaders enters the second day in Mogadishu on Sunday [today] with the current pre-election agreement to be discussed once again, even as the Federal Government of Somalia insists that the elections will continue as scheduled.
For months now, the opposition team has been at odds with President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, whom they accuse of predetermining the outcome by installing the National Intelligence Security Agency. [NISA] detectives on the Electoral Committee team.
But allegations of NISA infiltration of the electoral team were dismissed by Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, who gave the go-ahead for the team to continue preparations. The team met Thursday for the first time since it was chosen to conduct the exercise.
And on Saturday, the opposition team called for “free and fair” elections in Somalia ahead of the presidential vote on February 8, 2021. This was the first time that a litany of opposition candidates met face-to-face to discuss. the next elections.
Analysts believe the leaders would also discuss the possibility of forming a formidable coalition that would compete against President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo. The debate is likely to dominate Sunday’s meeting in Mogadishu, the sources said.
Among the attendees are former Presidents Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, former Prime Minister Hassan Khaire, and former Presidents of South West and Galmudug Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden and Abdikarim Guled, respectively.
In addition, the meeting comes amid growing concerns from opposition parties and civil society about the composition of electoral committees at the federal and state levels. Teams are critical to achieving better clan-based electoral elections.
Several presidential candidates, including Wadajir Party leader Abdirahman Abdishakur, arrived in the country in the past two days from Kenya and other parts of the world for the meeting. Former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire has been campaigning from Kenya.
The meeting comes about a week after the 12 presidential candidates drafted a letter of protest against Farmaajo demanding that he remove the people he appointed to the Federal Indirect Elections Team. [FIET].
Somalia goes to the elections during the most difficult time as the United States plans to withdraw its troops in early 2021. The troops have been instrumental in the fight against Al-Shabaab militants who have been wreaking havoc across the country since 2008.
GAROWE ONLINE
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