Somalia’s Supreme Court has annulled the July 30 Galmudug elections, ruling that serious irregularities violated constitutional and electoral laws and ordering fresh polls.
MOGADISHU, Somalia (Somali Report) — Somalia’s Supreme Court has annulled the results of recent elections for Galmudug’s House of Representatives and local councils, ruling that the polls were not conducted in accordance with the country’s constitution and electoral laws.
Chief Justice Baashe Yusuf Ahmed announced the decision on Monday, saying the elections, held simultaneously on July 30, had been marred by irregularities that undermined their credibility and affected the validity of the results.
“The court has determined that the elections for the House of Representatives and local councils held on July 30 in Galmudug were not administered or conducted in accordance with the constitution and the country’s electoral laws,” Baashe said.
He said the court therefore considered the results invalid and without legal effect.
The ruling follows a dispute between political organisations that participated in the elections and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, with disagreements emerging over the conduct and management of the polls.
The Supreme Court said it had identified serious procedural shortcomings that had caused significant damage to the transparency, independence and integrity of the electoral process.
“The court also determined that the irregularities were not correctable and had seriously harmed the transparency, independence and legitimacy of the elections, negatively affecting their results,” Baashe said.
The court ordered the electoral commission to organise fresh elections for the Galmudug House of Representatives and local councils at the earliest feasible opportunity.
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It also directed that existing institutions in Galmudug remain in office while preparations are made for the new elections, in an effort to prevent a constitutional vacuum in the state.
The ruling is likely to have significant political consequences in Galmudug, where the electoral process has already generated tensions among competing political groups and election officials.
The annulment also comes as Somalia faces wider political disagreements over electoral arrangements and the distribution of powers between federal institutions and the country’s federal member states.
The Supreme Court’s decision places the electoral commission under pressure to address the shortcomings identified by the court before conducting a new vote.
Political groups that contested the July elections are now expected to assess the ruling and its implications, while attention will turn to the timing and organisation of the repeat polls.
The decision could also become an important test of Somalia’s emerging electoral institutions, particularly their ability to resolve disputes and enforce electoral rules at the federal member-state level.
For Galmudug, the immediate challenge will be to maintain political stability while preparing for a new electoral process and ensuring that the institutions currently in place continue to function until new representatives are elected.
The court did not, however, order the dissolution of the existing Galmudug administration, instead stressing the need to avoid a constitutional vacuum during the transition to new elections.
About the Author
Ahmed Omar is a senior journalist for Somali Report, based in Mogadishu. He has two decades of experience reporting on Somalia for international and local media. He covers politics, security, governance, business, trade, economic developments and regional affairs.
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