Somali Govt Fails to Settle Disputes over General Elections

Negotiations between the Somali federal government and regional state leaders failed on Saturday to reach an agreement on the country's upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections.

The Minister of Information, Osman Dub - according to the Somali Radio Shabelle, said today, Saturday, that the federal government had shown many concessions and tried to persuade the leaders of the region to accept the agreement, but all the efforts exerted failed.

Among the main issues discussed during the meeting - which was held in the presence of the Somali President, Mohamed Abdullah Farmajo, last night in Dosmereb, the capital of Jamdog state, in the center of the country - related to the electoral commissions, the electoral commission in Somaliland, in addition to the regional electoral administration in the Gedo region.

Farmajo left the city of Dusemoreb for the capital, Mogadishu, after the meeting collapsed as progress on the conduct of the elections in the country was attained.

It is noteworthy that Somalia did not adhere to the deadline for holding parliamentary elections last December, which was supposed to be followed by the presidential elections before the end of the legal mandate of the current president on February 8th.

On December 6, the Somali President, Mohamed Abdullah Farmajo, affirmed his commitment to holding free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections.

Farmajo praised - in a statement reported by the Somali News Agency - the tireless efforts made by his country's government regarding holding elections and implementing the government's role regarding the political agreement.

He said, "We are committed to the full implementation of the election agreement while avoiding delaying its deadline."

He called on states that have not completed the appointment of their members in the election implementation committees to fulfill the terms and procedures agreed upon in the agreement as soon as possible.

The Somali president urged the federal government to redouble its efforts to create a stable environment suitable for holding elections in the country.