AU pledges to work with Somalia to ensure successful elections

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC), Francisco Madeira, said on Monday in Mogadishu that the Pan African body would work with the people of Somalia in ensuring the process is held in an atmosphere of peace and stability.

Madeira said in a statement that that the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) would use its resources to support the people of Somalia and ensure that the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (FIEIT) carried out a credible and transparent electoral process.

African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), is peace keeping mission operated by the AU in Somalia with approval by the UN.

She assured that such process would result in a new parliament, speaker and president for Somalia.

Madeira said that the move was as a result of the announcement by the election commission that the country’s 2016 presidential election would hold on Oct. 30.

She lauded the Somali people for agreeing on an electoral process timetable that would culminate in the election of a new president on Oct. 30.

She called on the Somali people to take advantage of the electoral schedule to fully participate in the election of a new parliament that would be a foundation for the next poll in 2020 when one-person one-vote system would be fully implemented.

Meanwhile, Omar Abdulle, the Election Commission Chairman said the election of 275-member Lower House would be from Sept. 24 to Oct. 10 while the election of Upper House should be completed by Sept. 25.

He said that more than 14,000 delegates representing Somalia clans would cast their votes for members of the Lower House, while the regional states would select the members of the Upper House.

The incumbent Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud whose term expires on Sept. 10 is among dozens of candidates seeking the post of president, who would be elected by new lawmakers.