The chairman of the Federal Electoral Commission, Mohamed Hassan Irro, has announced that the elections for Somalia’s Lower House of Parliament elections will officially begin next week.
Irro said that the commission was ready to hold the elections and called on Somalia’s leaders to play their part in implementing the parliamentary elections.
“Our election process has been dragging on for a long time, but the prospects are good now. We have promised the Parliamentary elections will take place as soon as possible, and we have all the tools to carry out the election process.”
He added that the electoral commission would provide the voting centres with all the necessary election materials, such as ballot papers, ballot boxes and other items needed for the election process.
Irro’s statement comes a week after delegates from the Northern Regions of Somaliland held the first elections for the incoming parliament.
Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed Guled and Bihi Iman Egeh won the first two seats in Somaliland. However, Outgoing MP Hussein Arab Isse says that Guled’s seat was won through corruption. Isse challenged the results and sought the committee’s intervention.
On Friday, Somalia’s international partners again urged its leaders to accelerate the electoral process after months of delay.
“While the recent start to the House of the People voting process is a positive development, the electoral timetable remains well behind schedule and needs to be accelerated,” it said.
