PRESS STATEMENT 03/2018

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Michael Keating, congratulates Mohamed Sheikh Abdirahman Mursal on his election today as the new Speaker of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament of Somalia.

Mr. Keating commends the members of the House of the People for electing the Speaker through a transparent process. He expresses his appreciation to the former Speaker, Mohammad Sheikh Osman “Jawari,” for his extraordinary commitment to state-building in Somalia, including his achievements as a leader of the ninth and tenth parliaments.

With the election of the Speaker now completed, the United Nations urges the country’s legislative and executive branches to work together constructively to enact the many pending draft bills in Parliament. Many of these are critical to continued progress, including those relating to clarifying federal arrangements, reform of the security sector, preparations for the 2020 elections, fighting corruption and improving accountability, and enabling the State to increase revenue collection and disbursement.

“The supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law should be respected in the conduct of all parliamentary and government business,” said Mr. Keating. “The people of Somalia will benefit if political actors take steps to strengthen the capacity and bolster the integrity of key State institutions.”

The United Nations reaffirms its support for the Federal Parliament and for the new Speaker to achieve tangible results that benefit the people of Somalia.