Mogadishu – The first plenary session of the National Consultative Forum on the electoral process in 2016 took place in Mogadishu on 19-20 October 2015.

1. The first plenary session of the National Consultative Forum on the electoral process in 2016 took place in Mogadishu on 19-20 October 2015.

2. Among the attendees were the President of the Federal Republic, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the Speaker of the Federal Parliament, Mohammed Osman Jawari, the Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmaarke, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, Mohamed Omar Arte, the President of Puntland, Abdiweli Mohamed Ali “Gaas”, the President of Jubbaland, Ahmed Islaan (Madobe), the President of the South-West Administration, Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, and the President of Galmudug, Abdikarin Guled, as well as Federal ministers, members of the Federal Parliament, representatives of the regional administrations, the Governor of Benadir, and representatives of Hiraan and Middle Shabelle and of civil society, and representatives of international partners.

3. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud opened the meeting, reiterating the Government’s commitment to ensure a transparent and inclusive consultative process leading to an electoral process in 2016, without any extension of the mandates of the Somali legislative and executive.

4. The National Consultative Forum agreed a Facilitation Guide prepared for the consultations, outlines the approach to the consultations and the different options for the electoral process in 2016.

5. Participants in the National Consultative Forum agreed that the current circumstances do not yet allow for one-person one-vote elections and that in their absence, an indirect election should be held (short of one-person one-vote elections).

6. The Participants agreed that further consultations will now take place with a wider cross-section of Somali society, such as youth, women, traditional elders, religious leaders, businesspeople, intellectuals and minority groups in the communities of each of the existing and emerging federal member states and with the participation of communities from Somaliland. There will also be appropriate consultation with Somalis in the diaspora. This will ensure that the voices of the Somali people will be heard.

7. The National Consultative Forum reiterated its intention to reconvene in the middle of December to review the conclusions of the public consultations and to take a collective and consensual decision on the most appropriate electoral process for 2016.

8. The Participants urged all Somalis and stakeholders to seize the momentum and actively engage in the consultations. The participants stressed that there will be no tolerance for those who hinder or delay the process of peacebuilding and state-building in Somalia.

9. Participants in the National Consultative Forum expressed their thanks to the members of the Task Force and to the Technical Support Team, which helped prepare their deliberations. Participants also support the continuation of the consultation process, led by the Task Force and Technical Support Team.

10. The National Consultative Forum also welcomed the the full support of international partners for the process. Participants thanked all those who contributed to the successful organisation of the meeting.