The Somali Presidency is set to officially open today with a consultative meeting between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Somali Future Council.
The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, will open the meeting, which will initially focus on assessing the general situation in the country, especially political issues, security and the electoral process.
According to information I have received, civil society representatives will be present at the beginning of the talks, to contribute their views to the negotiations between the Government and the opposition.
The meeting, which is expected to last several days, is expected to formally set the agenda for the points that are still not agreed upon, so that the talks have a clear direction and a defined schedule.
The government and the opposition are expected to show flexibility and compromise on the points of contention, so that the meeting can be fruitful.
It was late Tuesday when an agreement was reached to hold a consultative conference between the Federal Government of Somalia and the opposition Somali Future Council, which will be held at the National Presidential Palace.
The Consultative Council accepted the request from the President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, to hold the conference at the presidential palace, with both sides showing flexibility and compromise to create an atmosphere for formal dialogue.
Minister of Justice Hassan Moalim, who is the chairman of the conference organizing committee, told the media the day before that holding a one-person, one-vote election remains the government’s top priority, with less than 3 months left in the government’s term.
