Egal’s regime wielded administrative appointments to rig the 1969 election.

Evidence

The Egal group also has control over the government apparatus in its hands, and the recent wholesale switching of regional governors and district commissioners provides a fairly clear indication that this influence will be used in the election. To the extent that this is done by unethical or illegal means, there is likely to be serious trouble. In 1964, as the election campaigns began in earnest, the then president Aden Abdullah Osman publically and privately worked to good effect, to ensure honest elections. One can only hope that a similar pattern will emerge in 1969. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 1012

Categorization

• XREF: Builds on earlier chapters about Osman’s 1964 presidency and his integrity as a democratic founder.