MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Mutinous regional troops surrounded a house where Galmudug president was staying in the central Somalia town of Galka’yo and blocked key roads amid simmering tensions over elections for remaining parliament seats, Caasimada online news website reported on Friday.
In response, regional President Ahmed Qoorqoor asked for fresh deployment of troops in the town and a convoy of heavily armed Turkish-trained Gorgor special forces was on its way from the town of Dhusamareb, the region’s administrative capital whose airport also came under fire from militants on Friday.
Tensions arose over attempts by the regional administration to reserve seats for its allies despite strong opposition from elders and troops stationed in Galkayo. Elders demanded that Qoorqoor stop meddling in the ongoing polls and allow a fair contest between candidates in talks held to ease tensions.
Elections for three parliament seats scheduled for Friday have been delayed until Sunday due to the row.
Galkayo is the only election site in Somalia where an ally of the incumbent President and an opposition figure heavily contested in a vote that handed victory to a Farmajo critic after elders rebuffed attempted meddling by authorities.
In a phone conversation with US ambassador on Friday, Qoorqoor said he would fill the remaining six parliament seats whose elections are set to be held in the region before March 15, with only three days to go before a new deadline agreed between members of the National Consultative Council last month.
Contact us: info@somaliguardian.com
