Friday November 26, 2021
Mogadishu (HOL) - The international community has issued a statement on Friday expressing concern over the transparency in the parliamentary elections, calling for the elections to be credible to all stakeholders and the Somali people.
"We call for full transparency in all related processes, including selection committee appointments, delegates selection, candidate registration, the reservation of seats for women candidates, to comply with the agreed 30 percent quota, and the management of candidate fees. We further call on the electoral committees to facilitate observation of all polling station activities."
The statement has also called on election officials to respect the right of candidates to run for office and lodge formal complaints if the electoral process is flawed.
"We call for respect for the right of candidates to stand for election under conditions of genuine and fair competition. We encourage delegates and candidates wishing to submit electoral complaints to do so through the legal mechanisms established for this purpose."
The statement was signed by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ethiopia, European Union (EU), Finland, France, Germany, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, League of Arab States (LAS), Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Russian Federation, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, and United Nations.
The concern from Somalia's international partners comes when there are growing concerns and complaints about the process of the current parliamentary elections that include gerrymandering and barring people from contesting seats.