MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – Local council elections for the Banadir region are scheduled to take place in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, on Thursday.
However, the elections are facing serious disputes and strong disagreements, with many complaints about how the process is being conducted.
Some people believe that the elections are being driven by the outgoing president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose term is nearing its end.
Role of the media in Mogadishu
Hussein Mohamed, a journalist who writes for The New York Times and a political analyst specializing in Somali affairs, has stated that there is widespread confusion surrounding how the elections in Mogadishu are being organized.
Among the most contested issues is the electoral commission, which opposition groups claim is biased toward one side. There are also many allegations regarding how members were selected from the president’s party, known as the JSP.
The president has only about four months remaining in his term, a situation that could push the country into political instability, especially since the electoral framework in Somalia remains unclear.
Hussein Mohamed also said that people have been forced to obtain voter cards. He explained: “This happened to me personally.
While I was traveling, my vehicle was stopped and I was required to get a card.” He added that such actions create serious problems and raise doubts about how people can trust the electoral process.
Residents of Mogadishu are increasingly concerned about the way things are unfolding, which undermines the possibility of holding an election in Somalia that is widely accepted and agreed upon by all sides.