An agreement has been reached in the ongoing talks on elections taking place in Mogadishu between Federal Government of Somalia and Federal Member States.
The agreement has been signed between President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, five regional leaders, and the Mayor of Mogadishu, who is also the Governor of the Banadir region.
In the agreement, the leaders have opted for a model known as “Electoral Constituency Caucuses.”
The electoral model differs from the one signed in August in Dhusamareb III.
Under the new agreement, FGS and FMS would appoint electoral commissions at the federal and regional levels to manage the elections.
Consequently, that agreement calls into question the role of the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC).
NIEC’s role in the elections had been one of the most contentious issues during the talks.
Furthermore, reports also indicate that the leaders have agreed to whittle down the number of delegates from 301 to 101.
In the Dhusamareb III agreement, elections were scheduled for four places but that has now been reduced to two.
The new deal is scheduled to be tabled before the House of Representatives for further discussion and approval.