[ad_1]
UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 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, deepen, “the country’s envoy to the UN told the Security Council on Monday.
Although the agreed voting model “regrettably did not meet” the constitutional requirement for parliamentary elections based on the principle of universal suffrage, Special Representative James Swan, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), acknowledged that it does reflect “broad Somali political consensus and ownership.”
“In addition to the support of the president and the leaders of the federal member states, the indirect model was also endorsed by other key Somali actors, including political parties and civil society, and was ratified by the Federal Parliament,” he said by videoconference.
The official painted a picture of a country facing critical decisions, namely, “an electoral process to elect the parliament and the president in the coming months; a security transition so that Somalis can assume primary responsibility for security for the purposes of 2021; and urgent priorities for humanitarian response and economic reforms. “
Dubbed 2021 as “a year of transition in which Somalia, which borders the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean, Ethiopia and Kenya, assumes primary responsibility for security matters,” Swan sought a “strategic vision” for the security of the country that would be supported by various sponsors, including “external actors”.
He also commended, among others, the Somali security forces and the African Union (AU) mission in the country, for contributing to collective achievements in the field of security.
The head of UNSOM stressed that the agreed processes must be “more participatory and inclusive” and welcomed the agreement of political leaders to guarantee a 30 percent quota for women to sit in parliament.
Women’s rights groups, prominent businesswomen and women politicians in Somalia last month urged the male-dominated country’s parliament to pass a bill that reserves 30 percent of seats for women in the next general election. year.
Women hold 24 percent of the 329 seats in the upper and lower houses of Somalia’s parliament, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, compared to 14 percent in previous elections.
As Somalia focuses on the electoral process, she maintained that the UN would continue to push for the “participation of historically under-represented groups,” including women, youth and marginalized communities.
“Everyone has much to contribute to the peace, stability and development of their country,” said the envoy.
Moving 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 would help implement the agreement. electoral and the “elections by universal suffrage in the future”. “
“To this end, we urge Somali leaders to prepare by consensus a roadmap with clear deadlines and benchmarks to ensure that one-person, one-vote elections are held in 2024/25,” he said.
The UN development work in Somalia focuses on human rights and justice, according to the head of UNSOM.
“Now that the elections are approaching, I emphasize my previous calls for the protection of political space, tolerance of divergent opinions, respect for freedom of expression and association and freedom of the press,” he said.
In closing, Swan assured the council of UNSOM’s continued work to promote political cooperation.
“Our good offices are aimed at fostering the broadest levels of inclusion and consensus possible,” he said. Final product
