By HAN News Desk
MOGADISHU — Several registered political organisations have denied being among the 20 groups announced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) as having submitted candidate lists for the upcoming Banadir regional local council elections.
Speaking at a press conference in Mogadishu on Sunday, representatives of the organisations accused the commission of violating electoral laws and raised concerns over the credibility of the elections, scheduled for 25 December.
They said five rounds of talks with the commission had failed to resolve their concerns, alleging that the electoral body lacked the independence required to carry out its mandate impartially.
“Despite the many concessions made by registered political organisations, it is clear that the commission cannot operate independently,” the representatives said.
The groups also alleged government interference and misuse of state resources, warning that such actions had undermined the electoral process. They stressed that the commission must operate free from political pressure.
They further urged Somali citizens, religious leaders, civil society organisations, politicians, women and youth to intervene to prevent the country from sliding into conflict over the elections.
Earlier, the NEC said 20 political organisations had officially submitted candidate lists for the Banadir local council elections, out of 61 organisations that initially registered to participate.
On 24 November, the commission extended the deadline for candidate submissions by two weeks, setting the final submission period from 25 November to 10 December.
The developments suggest that most registered political organisations have withdrawn from participation in the Banadir local council elections, scheduled to take place in Mogadishu on 25 December.
