Wednesday August 18, 2021
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Chairman of Somalia's Electoral Commission, Mohamed Hassan Irro, has accused some of Somalia's regional governments of putting undue pressure on members of the Federal Indirect Elections Team (FIET), which has led to divisions within the commissions.
Chairman Irro said the pressure violated the independence and transparency of the electoral commission and called on state governments to protect the commission's independence.
The Chairman's statement came in response to allegations from the Federal Indirect Elections Team members on Tuesday that electoral procedures were flouted. The report further warned Irro that he would be held liable for any electoral misstep if he implemented the "inconsistent" policies.
Irro denounced the letter as illegal and said that regional leaders are pressuring the federal election commission members that they appointed to do their bidding.
Each of Somalia's Federal Member States was allowed to nominate two people to the federal elections commission and dispute resolution teams.