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Somalia's Indirect Election Delayed by Political Standoff

Mohamed Kahiye

   MOGADISHU, SOMALIA - There are more than 10 candidates in Somalia's
   indirect presidential elections, in which four big clans and other
   minority tribes choose members of parliament that will decide on the
   country's next head of state.

   The opposition accuse President Mohamed Abdullahi Faramaajo of
   bypassing the electoral law by stacking the poll committee with his
   allies. The committee coordinates the parliamentary elections before
   the presidential poll.

   Abdirahman Abdishakur, one of the key opposition figures, told VOA News
   that the president put members of the National Intelligence Agency,
   known as NISA, on the committee.

   "Our concern is about how the committee was made of and we have some of
   the members, or the majority of the members, are from the NISA [The
   National Intelligence Agency], some of them are from civil service and
   some of them are known supporters of the current president,
   Faramaajo,"Abdishakur said.

   The international community, including the United States, has raised
   concerns about the political standoff in a country that is already
   facing threats from armed group al-Shabab.

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