FEIT is not impartial to Somalia Presidential Candidates

By H. A. Mohamud

President Said A. Abdullahi Deni of Puntland State of Somalia lobbied for the appointment of Muse Guelleh as FEIT Chairman.

The Federal Federal Electoral Implementation Team of Somalia is split over a decision to submit an incomplete list of MPs. This is not the only source of disagreement. The FEIT Chairman Muse Guelleh Yusuf’s position became untenable when Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni declared his candidacy for Villa Somalia. Deni recommended the appointment of Guelleh as the FEIT Chairman. It was a part of negotiations to expedite elections. It was based on the assumption that no head of a Federal Member State would be a Presidential Candidate. It is fair to argue that FEIT decisions under Guelleh are partial to one Presidential Candidate.

Puntland President successfully negotiated aspects of the electoral model (e.g. selection of Senators by Parliaments of Federal Member States, and the appointment of FEIT Chairman). As a former 2017 Presidential Candidate Deni now has an advantage over other Presidential Candidates partly influencing selection of MPs and Senators from Puntland and his partnership with Jubaland State.

As long as FEIT Chairman from Puntland claims to acted impartially since Deni’s declaration to run for the Somalia Presidency, the integrity of 2022 Somalia elections will be called into question. The President of one Federal Member State who, last year, negotiated the articles in the electoral model in good faith has now unwittingly become stumbling-block to conducting indirect elections in Somalia. If FEIT Chairman had resigned on the day Puntland President publicized his candidacy, electoral complications would have been prevented.

It is difficult to know if FEIT members can select a new chairman without convening the national leadership council made up of Federal Member States and the Federal Government of Somalia. FEIT Chairman is responsible for delaying Gedo parliamentary elections in the hope of transferring the election to Kismayo to give political advantage to Jubaland President, an ally of Puntland President’s. No communique from Somalia’s international partners can bless the compromised mandate of FEIT, an electoral body that had veneer of respectability before Deni had decided to join Presidential Candidates.

H. A. Mohamud was an electoral law advisor to the Somalia Lower House (2018-2021)