As govt dismisses 2016 popular elections, UN rules out Somali leaders’ possible term extension

Hiiraan Online
Thursday July 30, 2015

The Federal Parliament of Somalia

MOGADISHU (HOL)---Days after Somalia’s government and parliament have jointly declared the country would not be able to hold popular elections in 2016, the United Nations envoy to Somalia has dismissed potential term extension for the country’s leaders as unacceptable.

advertisements

Speaking at the first-ever Ministerial High-Level Partnership Forum (HLPF) held in Mogadishu on Wednesday, Nicholas Kay referred a United Nations resolution that reiterated delivering Somalia’s Vision 2016 plan, without any extension of the term of the Federal Parliament or President in August and September 2016 respectively.

Mr. Kay has however concurred with the Somali government on the unfeasibility of One Man One Vote election scenario for the country at the end of 2015. “Any term extension beyond the designated mandate will be unacceptable.” He said.

The UN envoy’s remarks echoed concerns by Somalia’s opposition parties who expressed worries of possible term extension by the president, whom they accused of power grab and failure of genuine political outreach, and consultations.

Nevertheless, in an interview with the BBC Somali service, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud dismissed the likelihood of term extension by him, emphasize his government’s stance that the horn of Africa nation would not be able to hold One Man One Vote elections in 2016.

With the hope of timely election in Somalia at the end of this year, Mr. Kay who was briefing members of the Security Council in May said that the United Nations would deploy an Electoral Assessment Mission to advise and determine, in close collaboration with stakeholders, the nature and extent of UN electoral support in Somalia.

Despite the fact that the One Man One Vote election would not take place in Somalia, concerns about political instability are growing amid suspicions that Somalia’s president seeks one year term extension.

“The implementation process of Vision 2016 has become a monopoly and a tool for power grabbing and an illegal extension by the President. As such, the process has lost the trust of the political stakeholders and the Somali public.” said a statement from the Forum for Unity and Democracy, an opposition party based in Mogadishu.

Home
Email