MOGADISHU (SD) – The Federal Electoral Commission (FEIT) announced today that they have not received their salaries for the last three months, as all the funds earmarked for the elections have not come in.

Ahmed Safina, a spokesman for the Somali Electoral Commission, told the BBC that the commission was facing financial difficulties, at a time when the country’s elections are in full swing.

“The last pay the commission received was in October, no further funds have been released since then.” said the spokesman.

Ahmed Safina added that the international community has made it a condition that two-thirds of the elections be completed and that the quota for women in parliament is achieved, conditions not yet met.

Spokesman Safina said the election would not be slowed down by the lack of salaries for the electoral commissions, and that they would expedite the elections, scheduled to conclude on May 25, 2022.

The spokesman’s remarks come at a time when the international community is keeping a close eye on the country’s elections, threatening to take further actions in the event of another delay, and putting pressure on the parties to speed up.