Somali president, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has last night signed the elections, a significant step towards universal suffrage elections this year.
In a ceremony held in Mogadishu, President Farmajo has thanked the lawmakers for approving the bill saying move helps the public to take part in the country’s decision making process.
“Somali public, you can see that you retrieved your power and now is in your hands. Both Lower and Upper House endorsed the bill and I am signing it at this ceremony in order you to elect the party and individual you want,” said the president.
Somalia, with the help of partners, is making urgent preparations for universal suffrage elections, which will be the first of its kind after more than two decades since the outbreak of the civil war that followed the collapse of the Somali government in 1992.
The partners have held a series of meetings in recent weeks with key stakeholders in the electoral process including with the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) on the electoral law and security for the elections.
According to the UN, Somalia last held one-person, one-vote elections in March 1969 when the government was overthrown in a bloodless military coup.
