MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Members of Somalia’s opposition presidential candidates have voiced deep concerns over the lack of transparency in recent Senate votes held by some of the country’s regional states, including Puntland, Southwest and Galmudug, raising fear that the moves could finally lead to a corruption-marred presidential election.
The head of the national electoral board Mohamed Hassan Mohamed (Irro) acknowledged there were concerns that the Upper House votes conducted by some of the regional states had not met required transparency standards and stressed that candidates were needed to equally contest in the race without some withdrawing in compromise.
“We must not compromise the integrity and legitimacy of the election, since personal ambitions have previously failed to achieve victory. May Allah cure Somali politicians of political greed,” Abdirahman Abdishakur, the leader of Wadajir opposition party tweeted.
Abdikarim Hussein Guled, Somalia’s former security minister, who is now running for president, called for a review into the recent Senate votes held by Puntland, Galmudug and Southwest regional states, raising fear that the course, if not dealt with sufficiently, could affect the upcoming presidential elections.
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