Somalia’s International partners urge rapid completion of credible Electoral process
Mogadishu – Somalia’s international partners* note that the National Consultative Council meeting held on 3-9 January reached consensus on procedural updates and an expedited timeline for the House of the People elections.
We are pleased that the Prime Minister and the Federal Member State leaders made decisions on the basis of consultations with civil society, women representatives and opposition figures. We call on all Somali political leaders to put the national interest first, prioritize the conclusion of an electoral process broadly accepted by Somalia’s people, and avoid provocations that may distract from that process and increase the risk of confrontation or even violence. All leaders must ensure that security forces are not used as political instruments.
It is time for all Somali leaders to focus on the rapid implementation of agreed decisions so that a credible electoral process can be concluded by 25 February.
*African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, European Union (EU), Finland, France, Germany, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, League of Arab States (LAS), Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States and United Nations.