This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
On August 8, 2019, the UN Secretary General's Special Representative to Somalia, James Swan, wrote a letter to Jubbaland Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Hamza Abdi Barre, cautioning against parallel electoral processes in Jubbaland.
Swan, who is also the head of the UN Assistance Mission to Somalia (Unsom), urged the federal government to use a single mode of voting to avoid conflict, stating, 'We will continue to reiterate the need for a single, agreed process according to the Jubbaland constitution and consistent with the federal provisional constitution, and the need to avoid interference or intimidation of any kind.'
The statement came after Madobe's rivals announced a parallel electoral commission, known as the Union of Presidential candidates for Change in Jubbaland, which is composed of politicians who have been ruled out of the contest for failing to meet the tough criteria set by the Jubbaland electoral agency.
Experts on Somalia argue that the UN's stand could boost Madobe's chances as his allies have defended him for sticking to Jubbaland laws.
Abdirizak Mohamed, an MP in the Somali Federal Parliament, tweeted, 'When it comes to regional polls in the federal system, it is always the state that has the sole responsibility of administering its elections. The Federal Government of Somalia is trying to sway the election in Jubbaland in favour of its candidate in a blatant violation of our constitution.'
