Saturday February 6, 2021
MOGADISHU (HOL) - The electoral talks in Dhusamareb hit a brick-wall Friday night forcing President Mohamed Farmaajo to travel back to Mogadishu in what now casts a grim shadow on the fate of elections in Somalia.
The Federal Government moved in immediately Friday night to let the world know who was responsible for the collapsed talks-Madobe. Information Minister Osman Dube, who has a penchant for press conferences said Friday night Jubbaland president Ahmed Madobe was responsible for the failure of the talks.
In building a case against Madobe, the minister said the Federal government could not withdraw federal troops from Gedo region owing to the recent fighting there that claimed over ten lives.
“The Government proposed that AMISOM police observe the elections in Gedo region but Madobe declined,” Dube said, adding there was no way a new administration could be appointed in Gedo since there was no agreement on the differences that resulted in the fighting.
According to sources, Madobe had demanded to appoint a new governor in Gedo region and that his administration oversees the elections in Gerbaharey.
On the issue of Somaliland, Dube said the FGS acceded to Speaker Abdi Hashi’s demand to appoint the elections team for the break-away region but he declined.
“Though it was illegal, the Federal Government allowed Hashi to appoint 40% (4) of the team but he refused,” said Dube. It was not clear what the minister meant that it was illegal to allow Hashi to appoint the Somaliland team.
Dube also said Farmaajo had compromised and agreed to remove names which the opposition and regional governments considered his cronies, ‘though the September agreement did not bar the president from appointing government and security officials’.
The break down of the talks now creates a sense of uncertainty in Somalia as the terms of parliaments have lapsed while that of the president comes to a close in two days.
Without a deal on way forward, the country stares into another political and constitutional crisis which could portend instability.
Dube said the government will communicate new dates for resumption of talks.