Somalia: agreement reached for the organization of elections within 60 days
Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, September 23, 2020. AFP - STRINGER
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On Thursday, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and the heads of the five semi-autonomous regions signed an agreement to hold “
free and fair
” elections.
They were to be held between December 2020 and February 2021 but differences between the different parties delayed them, plunging Somalia into a political crisis.
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With our correspondent in Nairobi,
Albane Thirouard
In mid-April, the extension of President Mohamed Farmajo's mandate, which expired on February 8, sparked violent clashes in the capital.
At the beginning of May,
the president had finally given up
, delegating the electoral process to his Prime Minister.
The latter then led closed-door discussions, which began on May 22, which led to the agreement signed on Thursday, May 27.
Through this agreement, the Somali authorities presented a roadmap for the organization of the elections.
The first step is to finalize the constitution of the electoral committee by Sunday.
Then, the elections will have to be held within 60 days according to an agenda specified later by the electoral committee.
The ballot will take place according to an indirect electoral system where special delegates, chosen by the clans, vote for the parliamentarians.
Parliamentarians who then elect the president.
According to the agreement, each semi-autonomous region will designate two locations for the holding of these elections.
The Prime Minister of Somalia also called for a quota of 30% of women elected to parliament to be respected.
The agreement was greeted with relief and applauded by both the opposition and the international community, as tensions in recent months had raised fears of an escalation in violence.
The African Union, the UN and the European Union, among others, have said they are ready to help Somalia "
put in place this historic agreement
."
President Farmajo thanked his Prime Minister, praising his leadership role in the negotiations.
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Somalia
Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo