By Zamzam Osman - Reporter
MOGADISHU (Dawan) Somalia’s Supreme Court said Sunday that it had not received the results of the South West State elections, raising questions about the electoral timeline set by the National Electoral Commission.
In a statement, the court clarified that the electoral commission was yet to submit the results as required by law.
“The Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Somalia clarifies that, up to this point, no election results related to the elections held in the South West State of Somalia have officially been submitted to the Supreme Court,” the statement said.
On Sunday, the electoral commission said the parliamentary leadership vote for South West State, which had been scheduled for May 18, was postponed pending Supreme Court’s approval of the results, as required under Somalia’s electoral law.
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The commission stated that once the court issued its approval, it would announce the final list of elected lawmakers and proceed with parliamentary leadership election.
However, the Supreme Court’s latest statement has raised questions why the electoral commission announced timelines ahead of the certification of the results.
The development has also raised concern about coordination in public messaging from institutions managing the electoral process.
The South West elections are part of the federal government’s broader plan to implement a one person, one vote electoral system, at a time when Somalia remains politically divided over constitutional changes, election procedures and the political transition process.