Somalia's election facing setbacks

Somalia's indirect election of lawmakers, expected to begin Sunday, was delayed once again as regional parliaments were not ready. But the delay will affect the presidential vote, which is predicted to be pushed toward the end of the year.

Authorities said the vote did not take place because the five state leaders failed to submit a list of the final candidates. They also said a regional parliamentary committee was not put in place to oversee the vote.

Somalia's parliamentary and presidential elections were scheduled to take place after the end of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo's term in February, but disagreements between the government and opposition delayed the process for months.

More than 15 candidates have declared their interest in ousting Farmajo in the October 10 presidential elections that will be decided by the 329 members of parliament.

Last week, the country's Al-Shabaab jihadists warned politicians against taking part in the elections, which were due to kick off after months of deadlock and delays.

The threat, in an audio message purportedly recorded by Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah, underscores the security challenges facing the election process in the country.

The Al-Qaeda-linked group has been fighting to overthrow the federal government since 2007 and frequently attacks government, security and civilian targets.

Somalia was plunged into an unprecedented constitutional crisis early this year, when President Farmajo and the leaders of Somalia's five states were unable to agree on the terms of a vote before his term lapsed in February.

Somalia's political impasse exploded into violence in April when negotiations collapsed and the lower house extended the president's mandate by two years, sparking gun battles on the streets of Mogadishu.

Under pressure the president reversed the extension and ordered his prime minister to reconvene with the state leaders to chart a fresh roadmap towards elections.