Somalia says elections will be held on time

Somalia's electoral body has said the forthcoming indirect elections slated for September and October in the country will be held on time.

The chairperson of the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team, Omar Mohamed Abdulle, said the current deadlines for selecting members of parliament and the country's president in October will be met and welcomed the establishment of six State-Level Indirect Electoral Implementation Teams.

"Everything is running according to plan," Abdulle said in a statement released by the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

Abdulle said that an electoral dispute resolution body had also been set up to adjudicate complaints about the electoral process.

According to the electoral body, the electoral process has entered its most critical stage as a list of 135 traditional elders is being finalized for selecting 14,025 members of Electoral Colleges, who will in turn elect the 275 members of the lower house of the next federal parliament.

Abdulle refuted reports that the electoral body had decided to eliminate the Electoral Colleges and allow the 135 elders to directly vote on parliamentary candidates, and reassured Somalis that the electoral process would be transparent and credible.

Somalia is set to elect a new federal parliament between Sept. 24 and Oct. 10 and a president by Oct. 30. 

Source : XINHUA