The International Community has called upon Somali stakeholders to reach political consensus on the contentious election model.
In a statement AU, IGAD, EU, US, and the UK expressed their concern on the recent political environment that saw the national assembly oust the government of Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire via a vote of no confidence on Saturday.
“Somalia’s international partners express their concern and their strong hope that recent political developments, including in the Federal Parliament, will not undermine efforts to reach political consensus on timely elections, disrupt Somalia’s reform agenda, or create instability that may reverse the gains made so far on national priorities.”
The partners welcomed the agreements reached in Dhusamareb during the FGS-FMS leadership meeting earlier last week while urging for more consultation on the type of election model before expected 2021 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
“The partners have consistently called for inclusive consultations to achieve broad-based agreement on the modalities for the 2020 elections. This is why they welcomed the decisions reached by the Federal and State leaders in Dhusamareb on 22 July as an important step towards that goal.
They caution against a lack of cooperation among various political stakeholders during this critical transitional period in the country.
“Any attempt by a single stakeholder to unilaterally impose electoral modalities will lack legitimacy and will not be implementable without the essential support from other stakeholders. The partners will closely follow developments going forward. Commitment to agreed national priorities and to resolving issues through dialogue and compromise is vital for continued international support to Somalia at current levels.
