The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is gearing up to provide security to ensure a peaceful vote during the upcoming electoral process in Somalia, its head Ambassador Francisco Madeira has announced.
AMISOM has already begun working with the Somali Government and its security forces to establish a technical security committee to oversee security arrangements for the August ballot, the Ambassador said.
“The commitment taken by Somali politicians and leaders is that the 2016 elections be viewed as another transition towards a full-fledged electoral process of one-person-one-vote by 2020. We are happy that they have all agreed on how to go about this,” observed Ambassador Madeira.
| In a couple years the 2020 elections will be described as a transition to something else... |
The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the Commission (SRCC) made the remarks at a media luncheon held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, during which he updated journalists on the progress made by AMISOM forces and the Federal Government of Somalia towards stabilising the country.
Somalia is expected to hold elections before the end of the year, after political representatives struck a deal on the electoral model to be used to designate a new president and members of parliament. |