WardheerNews

In the runner up to February 8, 2016, a presumed Presidential Election Day, the course to victory for Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is undoubtedly narrowing.

A flary of activities express Hassan Sheikh’s desperation.

On January 26, the new leadership of the two houses organized a nine-member independent anti corruption team. Faduma Dayib, one of Somalia’s female activists and Presidential candidate until recently, was one of the nine members. That was until today (February 1, 2017) when her name was unceremoniously deleted from the list.

What happened to her short-lived membership is a clear expression of how panic-stricken Hassan Sheikh has become.

According to sources close to Villa Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud registered an official complaint against Faduma’s membership in the anti-corruption team. His reasons are said to be that she was once a Presidential candidate, and he can’t trust her neutrality.

Expunging unceremoniously Faduma’s name from the list comes at a time when the Presidents of Jubbaland and Southwest states are called to visit in Nairobi for consultation.

Reports that WardherNews received from Mogadishu indicate that the two leaders will be pressured to help Hassan Sheikh’s bid for a second term.

This new move to design a ploy to have change of hearts by these two leaders follows a futile pressure from Addis Ababa where both leaders declined to at least publicly endorse Hassan Sheikh’s candidacy. Both Jubbbaland and Southwest leaders have their own unrelated respective rifts with Hassan Sheikh.

To complicate matters more, the often quieter Omar Abdirashid finally broke the choke by neighboring countries and called for a complete cessation of foreign countries’ interference in his country’s affairs. According to reports from Mogadishu, both Ethiopia and Kenya are his targeted countries who are meddling in Somalia’s election matters.

It is recalled in its January, 2017 DIGEST Report, the Center for Dialogue, Research and Cooperation (CDRC), which is a thin-tank based in Addis Ababa and closely affiliated with the current regime in Ethiopia, declared that Sharmarke, the son of one of the founding fathers of Somalia, should not become the next president.

The report’s recommendations, akin to a”ban” against candidates that hail from Sharmark’s Darood clan, awakened him from a long slumber, by giving him a courage to stand up to Ethiopia. Just like the Somali adage, “nin qaawani biyo iskama dhowro,” or “desperate man has nothing to spare,” Mr. Sharmarke is cornered to speak up no matter what the consequences are.

Sharmarke’ desperation was not helped by President Gaas’ reported endorsement of one Cabdow Gees. It is reported that one of Mr. Gaas’ top aides assembled parliamentarians from Puntland, Sool region, and asked them not to vote to any other candidate but Cabdow Gees.

This new move by Gaas must anger Sharmarke in that the weight of Puntland is thrown behind someone who hails from Mogadishu. As if that was not enough insult to Sharmarke family, the fact that Cabdow Gees is the single individual who is given contract to import alcohol for AMISOM soldiers in Somalia is the nail on the coffin. The prestige of Puntland and the political capital it could have given to Sharmarke is no longer there.

Which brings us to the last move by Hassan Sheikh. While he is still reeling from the disastrous diner party he hosted for his supporters at SYL hotel, on February 1, 2017, he again hosted a gathering for about 60 parliamentarians at Jazzira hotel.

This time, he tried a different format. Reliable sources told WardheerNews, Hassan Sheikh and Farah Abdikadir met the parliamentarians on one-on-one basis. They offered an initial $20, 000 each in exchange for a promise to vote for Hassan Sheikh, to be followed by undisclosed sum after victory.

Wardheernews received unconfirmed reports that only 20 individuals accepted this illegal offer of cash in exchange for votes come February 8. If confirmed, the process of vote buying is already in full swing. This allegation must not be taken lightly and must immediately be investigated by the election commission and by the newly founded anti-corruption team.

As was proposed by one of WardheerNews’ writers, if this allegation is true, it should disqualify this particular candidate who is found to have corrupted the propose by the illegal scheme of trying to pay cash in exchange for votes.

We also urge the US, EU and the international community to keep a watchful eye on Somalia’s presidential election, and fulfill their promise to the Somali people to prosecute those parliamentareins who hold their countries’ citizenship for vote buying and corruption.

WardheerNews

Email: admin@wardhernews.com