Somalia’s Supreme Court nullifies Galmudug election results, orders fresh vote

Somalia’s Supreme Court has annulled the results of elections held in Galmudug and ordered that a fresh election be conducted, according to Supreme Court Chairman Bashir Yusuf Ahmed.

Chairman Bashir said the court had directed the Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission to repeat the joint elections held in Galmudug after determining that serious irregularities had occurred during the electoral process.

He said the identified shortcomings could not be corrected through administrative measures and therefore required the election to be conducted again.

Bashir said the manner in which the election was conducted had undermined public confidence in the electoral process. After reviewing the matter from different perspectives, he said, the court concluded that returning to the polls was necessary to address the problems identified.

“The errors that occurred are not ones that can be corrected,” Bashir said, explaining the basis for the court’s decision.

The ruling follows earlier objections from several political organizations that contested the Galmudug elections. Some of the groups rejected the preliminary results announced by the national electoral commission and had announced plans for peaceful demonstrations to express their concerns.

The Supreme Court’s decision now requires the electoral authorities to organize a fresh vote in Galmudug, potentially reopening the contest among the political groups and candidates that participated in the annulled election.

The ruling also comes amid wider efforts by Somalia to develop a direct electoral system and strengthen public confidence in the country’s emerging democratic institutions.

Mustaqbal