STORY: FIEIT visits Galmudug to urge timely

completion of voting for Lower House

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LANGUAGE: SOMALI/NATS
DATELINE: 24/11/2016, CADAADO, SOMALIA
SHOT LIST
1.
Wide shot, the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team
arrives in Cadaado
2.
Med shot, the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team is
received at the Airport in Cadaado
3.
Wide shot, the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team
in Cadaado
4.
Med shot, the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team in
Cadaado
5.
Wide shot, the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team
hold a meeting with Mohamed Hashi, the Vice President of Galmudug
State
6.
Med shot, the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team
hold a meeting with Mohamed Hashi, the Vice President of Galmudug
State
7.
Close up, Omar Mohamed Abdulle, Chairman of the Federal
Indirect Electoral Implementation Team
8.
Close up, a member of the Federal Indirect Electoral
Implementation Team
9.
SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) OMAR MOHAMED ABDULLE,
CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL INDIRECT ELECTORAL
IMPLEMENTATION TEAM.
Our visit today is to assess how the elections are going on in Galmudug.
We are here to ensure that the process is finished on time, by 30
November. Things are going well, out of the 36 seats for Galmudug, 21
have been filled. We want to encourage them to keep doing the good work
and where there are concerns, then we would address and find solutions.
10.
Wide shot, members of the Federal Indirect Electoral
Implementation Team in Cadaado
11.
Med shot, members of the Federal Indirect Electoral
Implementation Team in Cadaado
12.
SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) MOHAMED HASHI, VICE
PRESIDENT OF GALMUDUG STATE.

We had challenges, we did a lot of work to resolve disputes. We hope to

finish the election of the remaining members of the lower house by
Monday or Tuesday next week.
13.
Med shot, Omar Mohamed Abdulle, Chairman of the Federal
Indirect Electoral Implementation Team
14.
Close up, a member of the Federal Indirect Electoral
Implementation Team
15.
SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) OMAR MOHAMED ABDULLE,
CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL INDIRECT ELECTORAL
IMPLEMENTATION TEAM.
We hope to have at least two-thirds of the members of the lower house
before the deadline for the election of the president. We now have a total
of 145 members, if we get 35 more members, then the country would have
an institution that can sit and decide on the date for the presidential
election. It would not be necessary for the FIEIT to announce delays or
otherwise. That would be the responsibility of the parliament, if it gets a
quorum of 180 MPs. We will work hard to ensure that happens before 30
November.
16.
Wide shot, members of the Federal Indirect Electoral
Implementation Team in Cadaado
17.
Med shot, members of the Federal Indirect Electoral
Implementation Team in Cadaado
18.
Close up, a member of the Federal Indirect Electoral
Implementation Team
FIEIT visits Galmudug to urge timely completion of voting for Lower
House
Cadaado, 24 November 2016 - Members of the Federal Indirect Electoral
Implementation Team (FIEIT) visited the Galmudug state capital today to push
for timely completion of ongoing elections for seats in the federal parliaments
House of the People.
The FIEIT team met with senior state officials to discuss the status of the
elections in Galmudug, which so far has filled 21 out of its 36 allocated seats
in the lower chamber.
Our visit today is to assess how the elections are going on in Galmudug. We
are here to ensure that the process is finished on time, by 30 November this
year. We want to encourage them to do keep doing the good work and where
there are concerns, then we would address and find solutions, said FIEIT
Chairman Omar Mohamed Abdulle.

Mr. Abdulle said FIEIT would adhere to the election timetable it released in
September. He said the timely completion of the electoral process would
enable the country to have a new government and federal parliament before
the end of 2016.
FIEIT is pressing state-level governments and electoral bodies to expedite
voting for the remaining seats in the House of the People that have not yet
been filled. A two-thirds quorum of members is needed in both houses of the
federal parliament to hold a presidential election in the legislature, according
to Somalias 2012 Provisional Constitution. The Upper House has crossed
that threshold with 43 of its 54 seats already having been elected.
We hope to have at least two-thirds of the members of the Lower House
before the November 30 deadline. We now have a total of 145 members, if we
get 35 more members, the country would have an institution that can sit and
decide on issues, Abdulle added.
His remarks drew support from the Vice President of Galmudug, Mohamed
Hashi, who assured the FIEIT team that the states remaining 15 members
would be elected before the end of this month.
We did a lot of work to resolve disputes. We hope to finish the election of the
remaining members of the Lower House by Monday or Tuesday next week,
said Mr. Hashi.
In other election news, the FIEIT and the Independent Electoral Disputes
Resolution Mechanism (IEDRM) issued a joint press statement announcing
they are investigating cases of electoral malpractice following allegations of
corruption, intimidation and manipulation in the ongoing electoral process.
The two electoral bodies warned today that stern action will be taken on cases
where proof of electoral malpractice is confirmed.
When investigations confirm that serious malpractices have occurred, the
FIEIT and the IEDRM will take appropriate and decisive actions, said the two
bodies in the statement. Such actions will include nullification of the election
results and disqualification of candidates who have committed the
malpractices.
The statement also expressed concern about the failure of some clans to
comply with the 30 percent quota established by the National Leadership
Forum (NLF) for womens representation in the parliament. In the case of
Galmudug, only three of the 21 members elected to the House of the People
thus far are women.

This rule needs to be respected in all the upcoming elections. Failure to fulfill
this requirement will result in action by the FIEIT and IEDRM against the
offending clans both in past and upcoming elections, the statement warned.
Both electoral bodies urged all stakeholders to abide by the rules and
regulations of the electoral process as defined and agreed by the NLF.
END.