MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The United Nations envoy to Somalia James Swan has intervened in an escalating row over four parliament seats, including one grabbed by ex-spy boss Fahad Yasin whose outcome was invalidated by the election body which also ordered a re-run of votes.
The chairman of the Somali electoral body Muse Geelle and other members of the board briefed Mr Swan on Thursday about progress towards concluding the ongoing polls, just a few days to go before April 14 when the swearing in of new MPs and Senators is scheduled to be held.
In a tweet shortly after the meeting, Swan confirmed that he urged the electoral body “that they find a way to resolve the issues around the four seats that FEIT has not certified so the process can conclude without further delay”.
Southwest state where elections for three of the seats had taken place, said this week it would no longer cooperate with the Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble on efforts to complete the ongoing polls, in a sign of simmering power struggle between Somali leaders.
A seat occupied by Fahad Yasin, the right-hand-man of Somali President has been the epicenter of the current power fight while the Prime Minister’s camp still insists on stopping him from joining parliament to bar him from contesting for deputy speaker – a position earlier occupied by Abdiweli Mudey, an erstwhile ally of Farmajo who had been blocked from seeking re-election by his team.
A move by the Premier to order the expulsion of African Union envoy Francisco Madeira, who had launched a blistering attack on him and opposition figures in an undated leaked video, has further frayed tensions, with the President disapproving his rival’s decision as “illegitimate”. read more
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