Former president Farmaajo hails NCC deal

MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – Former president Mohamed Farmaajo has welcomed agreement by National Consultative Council on direct local state and federal elections.

In a statement, the immediate former president Farmaajo voiced support for the proposed electoral reforms with a change of approach.

“We welcome the agreement reached by the leaders of the National Consultative Council on 27/5/2023, especially the matters concerning the local, state, and federal elections, where the people will directly elect their representatives—a long-awaited goal for the Somali people in the multi-party system,” said Farmajo.

This week, leaders of the Federal and regional governments have reached an agreement hold universal suffrage in the country.

The leaders of Jubbaland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Southwest states and Banaadir regions had held 4 days long talks with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamze Abdi Barre in Mogadishu save for Puntland state leader, Said Abdullahi Deni who boycoated the conference.

The meeting which was chaired by President Mohamud was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama.

According to a communique, the political leaders who atteneded National Consultative Council have agreed reshape the country’s political system.

The leaders agreed to drop the decades old clan based power sharing system by steering the country towards universal suffrage which could give chance to the majority.

The agreement signed by the leaders articulates that the country hold one-person-one-vote elections once every five years.

The leaders also agreed that a 15-member national election and border committee will be formed to manage all local, regional and federal elections.

According to the agreement, the local council elections will be the first to take place on June 30 of next year as it will be followed that year by regional parliamentary and regional leadership elections on November 30.

The leaders have agreed that there will be only two political parties that compete for power in the country.