A deadlock in an electoral dispute in HirShabelle state was resolved on Sunday, following the intervention of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia Michael Keating and the Special Representative of the AU Commission Chairperson (SRCC) Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira. SRSG Keating and Ambassador Madeira negotiated a settlement in a dispute between two clans, which had resulted in a temporary suspension of the electoral process in the state.
“We recognize that there would be political challenges, but we believe despite those challenges, having the rules respected will bring great benefits to a new state and will send a signal to the rest of Somalia and to the international community,†SRSG Keating said, shortly after meeting the State-level Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (SIEIT) and HirShabelle President Ali Abdullahi Osoble.
“Our message to the president and to the SIEIT and to everyone, is that the rules of the process as set down by the National Leadership Forum need to be respected including the quota for women, which means in HirShabelle 11 women will be elected to the Lower House,†SRSG Keating emphasized.