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UNITED NATIONS, November 23 (Xinhua) – The “broad political consensus” reached in September that ended a two-year stalemate in Somalia, an impoverished and war-torn East African country, must be “preserved. and indeed detailed, “the country’s United Nations envoy told the Security Council on Monday.
Although the agreed voting model “sadly did not live up to” the constitutional requirement for parliamentary elections based on the principle of universal suffrage, Special Representative James Swan, who is also head of the UN assistance mission in Somalia ( UNSOM), acknowledged that it reflected “broad Somali political consensus and ownership”.
“In addition to the support of the president and leaders of federal member states, the indirect model has also been endorsed by other important Somali stakeholders, including political parties and civil society, and has been ratified by the federal parliament,” he said in a videoconference.
The official painted the picture of a country facing critical decisions, namely “an electoral process to choose the parliament and president in the coming months; a security transition so that Somalis can take primary security responsibility by the end of 2021; and urgent priorities for humanitarian response and economic reforms “.
Dubbing 2021 “a transitional year in which Somalia, which borders the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, Ethiopia and Kenya, takes responsibility for security”, Swan sought a “strategic vision. “for the security of the country which would be supported by various supporters, including” external actors “.
He also commended Somali security forces and the African Union (AU) mission in the country, among others, for contributing to collective gains in the security realm.
The UNSOM chief stressed that the agreed processes must be “more participatory and inclusive” and welcomed the agreement of political leaders to guarantee a 30% quota for women to sit in parliament.
Women’s rights groups, prominent business women and politicians in Somalia last month urged the country’s male-dominated parliament to pass a bill reserving 30% of seats for women in general elections next year.
According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, women hold 24% of the 329 seats in the upper and lower chambers of the Somali parliament, compared to 14% in previous elections.
While Somalia focuses on the electoral process, she argued that the United Nations will continue to press for “the participation of historically underrepresented groups”, including women, young people and marginalized communities.
“They all have a lot to contribute to peace, stability and development in their country,” the envoy said.
Moving on to the longer term, Swan explained that in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) and international partners, UNSOM will contribute to the implementation of the agreement. election and “universal suffrage elections in the future.”
“To this end, we urge Somali leaders to consensually prepare a roadmap with clear deadlines and benchmarks to ensure that one person-one vote elections are held in 2024/25,” he said.
According to the head of UNSOM, UN development work in Somalia is centered on human rights and justice.
“As the elections approach, I underline my earlier appeals for the protection of the political space, for the tolerance of divergent opinions, for respect for freedom of speech and association and for freedom of the media,” he noted.
In closing, Swan assured the council of UNSOM’s ongoing work in promoting political cooperation.
“Our good offices aim to foster the widest possible levels of inclusion and consensus,” he said. Enditem
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