Photo/Somali Times
Somalia today formally opened the National Consultative Assembly, which talking to accelerate the country’s elections 2021, The sensitive meeting chaired by the Prime Minister of Somalia, Mohamed Hussein Roble, and attended governors of the regional administrations as well as the governor of Benadir region and Mayor of Mogadishu.
The opening of the conference was hotly debated, after HirShabelle Governor Ali Gudlawe boycotted the conference, which was finally resolved, and he is attending the conference with Zoom, while in Turkey.
The talks, which are a first since the signing of the electoral agreement on 27 May 2021 are expected to formulate and adopt an election schedule, approve the recently released security plan and set a framework for the selection of clan elders and delegates.
The 27th, 2021 agreement states that clan elders together with civil society organisations will work with the regional governors in the selection of the delegates who will in turn elect the 275 MPs.
The main issues discussed at the meeting include consultation with the delay in the agreement for the provision of certain. Also discussed are the implications of the May 27th, 2021 agreement on the country’s electoral process. Security has also been tightened, and the meeting is taking place at the heavily guarded Afisyoni tent in Halane camp.
Somalia is still in a state of transition, and parliamentary and presidential elections are underway.