The Towfiq political organization has rejected the newly announced schedule for Galmudug’s repeat election and called for the electoral commission overseeing the process to be reviewed.
The Towfiq political organization has rejected the new timetable for Galmudug’s repeat election, calling for a review of the electoral commission that is expected to oversee the process.
Towfiq argues that the current commission has lost the confidence of political stakeholders and should not be entrusted with managing another election after the previous vote was annulled.
On August 24, Somalia’s Supreme Court annulled the Galmudug election held on July 30 following a legal challenge filed by Towfiq and other political organizations.
The court ordered that the election be held again in accordance with the Galmudug Constitution and applicable electoral laws.
Following the court’s decision, the Electoral Commission announced September 30 as the date for the repeat election.
Towfiq initially welcomed the Supreme Court’s ruling. However, the organization is now questioning whether the same commission that supervised the annulled election should be responsible for conducting the new vote.
The organization has raised concerns over what it considers a contradiction: How can a commission that oversaw an election later annulled by the Supreme Court be tasked with managing the repeat election?
The dispute suggests that disagreements surrounding the previous election remain unresolved.
Unless the political stakeholders reach an agreement over the composition of the commission and the procedures for the repeat election, the September 30 vote could face further objections, new legal challenges and renewed questions over its legitimacy.
