By Daniel Ooko
Friday, October 31, 2008
Addressing a news conference in Nairobi, Nur Hassan Hussein welcomed the measures adopted during the 13th extra-ordinary session of the Inter Government Authority on Development (IGAD) which took place this week in Nairobi and vowed to implement them within the timeline.
"Our top priority once the cabinet has been reconstituted will be enactment of the Constitution, electoral and parties' law; and establish the Banadir administration as stipulated in the Addis Ababa Roadmap within 15 days as directed by IGAD," Nur told a news conference in Nairobi.
"We know that the problems in Somalia lie with the constitution and this requires political solution. We also welcome the IGAD decisions and we think they will motivate us to end violence by implementing the tasks as directed during the Summit," he said.
The transitional federal charter, which was adopted in 2004, expires next year when a constitution is supposed to be drafted and elections held.
Regional leaders who met in Nairobi this week issued a five-point peace plan to be implemented by the Somali leaders in order to restore normalcy to the Horn of Africa nation.
The leaders from Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan warned that the failure to implement the peace plan will force the regional countries to review its options as it will not be business as usual.
The regional leaders said they might consider extending the transitional period in accordance with the provisions of the transitional federal charter on the basis of the progress made on the ground.
But the Somali PM said once implemented, the conditions reached during the Nairobi meeting will improve the working relations among the Somali leaders.
"We will form a national unity government bringing together the transitional government and the opposition and also having an all-inclusive parliament. We hope the IGAD resolutions will enable us to resolve some of the differences," he said.
"Once we have formed the national unity government. We will have to implement the ceasefire agreement to allow the operations of the humanitarian agencies. Somalia's problems are not security but political and these need political solutions," Nur said, blaming disputes between the country's leaders for the prolonged crisis.
Source: Xinhua, Oct 31, 2008