More Election Delays in Somalia

The Somali government has pushed for yet another delay in their presidential and legislative elections, which has caused an uproar not only from the Somali people, but has caused concern for the United Nations as well.

On Monday, election officials in the country’s capital of Mogadishu announced that they would be pushing back the election from October to November.

They claimed that the reason for the delay was due to administrative problems and certain security issues.

Initially, the presidential election was scheduled to take place in August of this year. It was then moved forward to October and now again to November.

The United Nations recently expressed their disappointment in the constant delay of the election, saying that the election process is now being politically manipulated – which worries the UN.

Meddling and posting in the electing process could hamper the chances of a free and fair election.

Michael Keating, the UN’s special representative for Somalia, said that various UN officials are concerned about the delays in the election and that the country should push forward with urgency regarding the presidential election.

“…The renewed delay raises a number of fears. Let me name just two: that the process is being politically manipulated, and that this delay may only be one of yet further ‘rolling delays’…[sic] The urgency and the momentum must be maintained and the additional time used to ensure that the process is as transparent and credible as possible,” he said.

On the other end of the spectrum, however, Abdusalam Omer, Somalia’s foreign minister, has said that government intends on adhering to the new election timetable, and that they are committed to holding a credible election:

‘…We recognize the concern that delays to the electoral process raise in our partners and we are not blind to the need to demonstrate our commitment to holding a credible, timely and inclusive electoral process,” he said.