The Interim South West Administration (ISWA) leadership has expressed support for the 2016 electoral model that was recommended by the Federal Government of Somalia last month.
“We want Somalia to move forward, to be united and to collectively defeat Al-Shabaab. We support a fair and inclusive election where everyone’s opinion is represented and owned by the people. We support the model forwarded by the Federal Government of Somalia,” stated President Sharif Hassan.
He made the remarks at the end of discussions in Baidoa with a visiting delegation from the Federal Government and international community, which met also with the Speaker and members of the ISWA regional assembly as well as representatives of civil society, including women and traditional elders on Sunday.
The delegation was led by the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, Michael Keating, and included the Permanent Secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister and ambassadors and representatives from the African Union, European Union, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.
The visit to Baidoa was part of a countrywide consultation the Federal Government and its international partners are conducting with existing and emerging federal member-states to receive their perspectives on the proposed 2016 electoral model.
During the meeting, Somali leaders expressed support for the introduction of universal suffrage by 2020 as long as key issues are addressed, including security and fair representation.
SRSG Keating lauded the ISWA President and his administration for their mature outlook towards the electoral model, which has generated debate and discussion among Somali leaders and the public.
He further emphasized that the 2016 electoral model is Somali-owned and will help drive the country’s ongoing transition to fully democratic rule.
“We came to talk to representatives from the South West and the Government and the President about their views on the electoral model in 2016,” said SRSG Keating. “We also talked to them about how they see the electoral model evolving after 2016 to 2020. We emphasized on our part that the international community is not favoring one model or another but what we want to see is the elections take place on time this year both for security reasons, but also because it is important to maintain political momentum in Somalia.”
