MOGADISHU, Somalia — International partners have welcomed Thursday’s swearing-in of newly-elected members of Somalia’s House of the People and Upper House.
In a statement, the partners expressed they are pleased that the new parliament is now in place after a period of more than one year in which all Somali elected institutions exceeded their constitutional timelines.
They [partners] also called for rapid completion of the remaining stages of the electoral process, notably election of the parliamentary leadership and then the President.
“We note that there remain some unfilled parliamentary seats and understand that, as these are decided, additional members may be sworn in and join the process as it progresses”, the partners said.
The UN and other international partners called on Somali leaders to reduce political tensions, respect the human rights and freedoms of Somali citizens, and conclude the electoral process quickly, peacefully and credibly.
