Somalia has postponed election that has been long overdue. The election was formerly scheduled to start on Sunday, July 25, and end on October 10.
It was gathered that Indirect parliamentary and presidential polls were due to open on the first day with four days of voting for the upper house by state delegates, while the election cycle was due to end with a presidential poll on the last day.
“Even though the plan was the upper house election to start around the various states today, there is a delay, the election may not take place as planned,” a member of the electoral commission told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The delay was due to the fact that federal regions were neither able to submit candidates’ lists in time, nor to form local committees to cast the ballots, the source added.
A spokesman for the federal government, Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimu, told AFP that the elections were “postponed,” without providing details.
Meanwhile, the country’s Al-Shabaab jihadists haf warned politicians last week against taking part in the elections, which were due to kick off after months of deadlock and delays.
The threat, in an audio message which was assumed to be recorded by Al-Shabaab leader, Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah, underscores the security challenges facing the election process in the country.
