Somalia PM and State leaders meet foreign ambassadors in Mogadishu

Somalia Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble and five leaders of regional states have today met with foreign ambassadors barely two days after the leaders inked an election deal. Somalia political stakeholders on Thursday signed an election agreement in a ceremony held in Mogadishu following six days of talks that brought together federal and regional leaders.

The Prime Minister’s office noted that the two sides discussed the new electoral agreement and the role of the international community in its implementation. Somalia is expected to hold its parliamentary and presidential election in August this year, according to Thursday’s agreement.

The leaders agreed that the contested names of the Federal Indirect Elections Team (FIET) shall be submitted to the Prime Minister who will direct for their replacement. The Federal Indirect Elections Team (FIET) and its regional level counterparts will prepare an election calendar within 60 days.

Somalia has witnessed a political stalemate after presidential and parliamentary elections were delayed and the president’s constitutional mandate expired on Feb. 8.
An agreement between the central government and regional leaders in the town of Dhusamareb on Sept. 17 last year was seen as a major step towards Somalia holding indirect parliamentary and presidential elections in late 2020 and early 2021, respectively.
It had since stalled as the country’s divided political leaders differed on how to proceed with the elections.