JOINT PRESS STATEMENT: FEDERAL ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL CONSENSUS BUILDING

Mogadishu – Somalia’s international partners (listed below) followed the address to the House of the People on 27 June by the Chairperson of the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) in which she presented technical options for holding one-person-one-vote elections as close as possible to the constitutionally mandated timeframe.  We thank the Chairperson for her presentation to the House of the People.

We emphasise the continued need for Somalis to engage in inclusive dialogue to forge the widest possible agreement on this important topic, and underscore the importance of a complete and comprehensive dialogue among the FMS and FGS leaders.

We welcome the announcement by President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ‘Farmajo’ that he will convene a meeting with all Federal Member State leaders from 5 to 8 July and we urge that this meeting be the next step in a broad consultation of key stakeholders.

We note the Parliament has also been meeting to discuss issues related to the electoral code.  We urge that political agreement be fostered ahead of final decisions. We call on all of Somalia’s leaders to work to reach agreement urgently on the path to holding national elections and other pressing national priorities.

*African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Belgium, Denmark, Ethiopia, European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States, and United Nations.