The United Nations and the Somalia electoral board FIET are partly to be blamed for the rise in reported cases of voter bribery in the ongoing elections, a section of politicians and political analysts have claimed
According to a resolution passed by at the National Leadership Forum (NLF) UN and FIET were mandated to partly finance all vying candidates vying for legislative seats and the delegates voting them. The funding was meant to cater for air travel and accommodation
But according to a number of candidates interviewed by Radio Dalsan they are yet to receive the agreed funding
“My rival was a minister who was wealthy enough to square all travel expenses to delegates. I could not be able to afford to offer that to delegates.How would you expect the delegates to vote for me against a contender who hosted them and probably” Salaad Jeele former Defence Deputy told Radio Dalsan
Most affected regions have been Adado, Galmudug, Jowhar, South West, Jubaland and PuntlandPolitical analysts point out that the vacuum created by UN and FIET meant that there lacked a level playing ground for contestants
“With no funding from the two bodies candidates it means if the delegates can get an independent host he or she is likely to vote for whoever took care of his travel or accommodation costs so there cant be fair voting ” Abdishakur Osman a political analyst told Radio Dalsan
The ongoing election has turned out to be a muscle flexing competition between the candidates with the one financially stronger possessing an upper hand
State Minister Khalid Omar recently found himself in a similar situation
“I chartered plane to carry my delegates to Baidoa but the South West authority declined to allow the plane to land in the city. The ended back to top Mogadishu and were carried by another flight chartered by a rival candidate” Omar lamented
“If there would have been financing as passed in the NLF meeting there would be a credible election” he added
Some analysts are of the opinion that the UN and FIET may have intentionally declined to finance the delegates throwing the elections into a disarray
The Somalia elections has been marred by cases of reported voter bribery as candidates contesting for the 275 MP seats and 54 senatorial seats
