ELECTION OR AN AUCTION?

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Efforts from the international community and the Somali public have been endless to ensure an election occurs before the end of the year 2016 in Somalia. That process has taken one step forward and two steps backward for quite some time. Finally, elections for the lower house have begun while the upper house was formality process. Everyone close to Somalia politics expected some sort of corruption to occur but not to this extent. Substantial cases of corruption and voter intimidation have marred the ongoing parliamentary elections in Somalia.

Voter bribes of between thousand and ten thousand dollars per voter have been paid, witnesses attested. Some candidates have been offering undisclosed amount of money to secure votes while other voters have been intimidated to secure their votes. Some candidates were forced to withdraw their candidacy to spare their lives. Traditional leaders have enthusiastically abused their powers and current office holders in present administrations have largely been seen running shadow campaigns for themselves or their favorite candidates. Government resources are being used in the election to replace voters selected by their traditional elders with new ones or totally bribe them.

The international community has limited resources to follow and monitor the massive corruption occurring around the country, but is following this election very closely and is said to have planned to contest some seats to be re-run as money and power had been used to out-maneuver some candidates. Indirect elections have been taking place in Somalia as the country remains too unsafe for a national vote. This has resulted in a paramount of corruption and abuse of power to have taken place.

*Stay tuned for our detailed report on this election including evidences of massive corruption and key corrupt figures in each election location.

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