The Somali Electoral Commission has announced that nearly 5,000 election workers will be deployed to polling stations on December 25 to ensure the smooth conduct of the One Person, One Vote (PMO) election in Banadir.
The commission’s chairman, Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan, said that the majority of the personnel, including youth, have been trained in election administration, staff responsibilities, voter rights and procedures to ensure that the election is conducted in a fair and transparent manner, in accordance with national laws.
The chairman said that the Banadir election is of particular importance and can play a major role in Somalia’s democratic trajectory. He noted that election workers are the most important pillar in building public confidence in the electoral process.
He urged the workers to fully uphold impartiality, fairness and professional ethics, and to treat all political parties and election observers equally.
He stressed that the responsibilities they will take on election day will directly affect the public’s perception of future elections.
“You will be carrying out a simple but difficult task. What is required of you is to serve the Somali people who will be going out on that day by facilitating the voting, organizing the queues, carrying out your duties fairly, and ensuring fairness to all competing parties and observers,” he said.
Villa Somalia insists on implementing Person and Vote elections, while the opposition argues that the process is neither fair nor feasible given the current circumstances.
