The 4th conference on the elections announced by the government is on the verge of cancellation. President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has been facing uncertainty over his ability to govern, since his term ended on February 7th.
Political pressure on the President following the non-implementation of the September 17th agreement and the resulting conflict has intensified, mostly from regional governments, such as Puntland and Jubbaland.
The last meeting between the Federal Government, the Regional Governments and the Benadir Region in Dhusamareb between the 1st and the 5th of February ended inconclusively, with the President leaving the conference without any agreement, resulting the end of his term on February 8 with no elections in sight.
If the March 4th meeting announced by President Farmajo does not take place, it will be the third time in less than a month that the President has convened a meeting between the Federal Government and the Regional States without the participation of Puntland and Jubbaland.
President Farmajo had previously called for a conference in Garowe on February 15th, following the failure of the Dhusamareb conference, but Puntland rejected the conference in Garowe and instead suggested Mogadishu for the venue.
Farmajo also issued a statement calling for a conference of regional governments to take place on February 18-19 in Mogadishu, despite political tensions and an anti-government rally planned by the Presidential Candidates for February 19th.
The president’s announcement was seen as an excuse to prevent the Friday 19th demonstration before the situation got out of hand on the eve when opposition’s militia’s attacks forced the security forces to intervene and take over the areas where the rally was planned.
The clash between the security forces and the the candidates militias was used as an argument by Said Deni and Ahmed Madoobe to cancel their participation in the meeting called by the president.
However, if Puntland and Jubaland leaders refuse to participate at this conference for the third time and the President doesn’t take the right step towards the general elections, there will be doubt as for his abilities to lead this nation.
This is the failure for which the opposition to Farmajo has prepared.
