Regional consultations to discuss the 2016 electoral process began on Monday across Somalia.
The forums are being held in Mogadishu, Baidoa, Kismayo, Garowe and Adado, and will each be attended by up to 150 people from the region.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has described the move as step forward in building peaceful and democratic and transition of power in the country.
“Today is a very exciting day in the development of Somalia as a democratic nation. Today people from all over Somalia: women, young people, business people, elders, community leaders will gather together to consider and discuss the best way for Somalia to support a peaceful transition of political power in September 2016”.
The President also acknowledged the challenges ahead saying honesty and commitment is very significant in the vital discussion on 2016 election process.
“This is not an easy task. It will take time and commitment. It will take openness and honesty. The hundreds of people who will meet across Somalia over the next two days carry the weight of responsibility to carefully consider a range of different electoral process options, and offer their own opinions and perspectives about what will work best as an electoral process in 2016,†HE The President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said.
The regional forums are being convened in order to identify and document the different perspectives that exist in recuperating state.
The output of the consultations will be a document that reflects the perspectives gathered in each of the consultations, and to map areas of greatest agreement and divergence.
The results of the consultative process, in the form of an agreed national electoral process in 2016, will be presented by the National Consultation Forum, before the end of 2015.
The Provisional Federal Constitution states that the original four-year term of the current federal legislative branch (the Federal Parliament) of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) ends in August 2016 while the federal executive term ends in September 2016.
© Radio Dalsan