Sunday October 6, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) – The Communication Director of Jubbaland Regional State House, Mohamed Hassan Hiis, has accused the Somali presidency of financing a smear campaign against Jubbaland's President, Ahmed Madobe, through social media.
Hiis claimed that Abdiqadir Ali Dige, the Communication Director of Villa Somalia, orchestrated a social media propaganda effort to discredit President Madobe.
"President, do you still have hope for the delegations you are sending to resolve the differences, while your Director of Information and your Office are paying for the insults and creating propaganda against the leaders you invited to the forum meeting?" Hiis remarked, quoting a statement allegedly sent by Dige to disseminate the campaign.
The accusations come amid the ongoing National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting between federal and regional state leaders in Mogadishu, which has entered its fifth day. President Madobe has opposed the federal government's push for a universal suffrage election, advocating for indirect polls like the one held in Jubbaland in 2019.
The federal government, led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, is lobbying for a unified one-person-one-vote election across Somalia, which Madobe resists.
Meanwhile, Abdirahman Hudeyfi, the Presidential Spokesperson, described the NCC meetings as progressing smoothly, anticipating a joint political agreement that would contribute to Somalia's state-building efforts. "The NCC meetings are progressing smoothly, without any obstacles, and we expect significant resolutions to be announced soon," Hudeyfi said.
The NCC meeting is expected to conclude on Sunday, with key decisions regarding Somalia's electoral process and governance anticipated.