Ambassadors and representatives of the international community have welcomed the progress made in Somalia’s one-person, one-vote electoral process, pledging to support efforts to strengthen the democratic process and return electoral power to the people.
The international community representatives said they are working with the Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission to implement inclusive, transparent and credible elections.
The comments came after a briefing by the commission in Mogadishu with ambassadors and representatives of countries and international organizations, which focused on the status and progress of the electoral process in Somalia.
The meeting was attended by ambassadors from the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Turkey, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Egypt, as well as representatives from the United Nations, the African Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan, briefed members of the international community on the work of the commission and the steps taken to implement the one-person, one-vote system.
He specifically mentioned the local council elections in Banadir region and the simultaneous elections for the local council and the House of Representatives in the South West and Galmudug states.
The Chairman also said that plans are underway to hold simultaneous elections for the local council and the House of Representatives in Hirshabelle.
Abdikarin said that the one-person-one-vote system has made progress in Somalia, noting that the Somali people have had the opportunity to directly elect their political representatives after a period of nearly 57 years.
