The UN envoy for Somalia called for an agreement on holding elections ” ASAP

United States, Feb 22 (AFP/APP): The UN envoy for Somalia called Monday for an agreement on holding elections “as soon as possible” after gunfire broke out during an opposition demonstration in the capital Mogadishu last week.

In a quarterly video conference of the UN Security Council, James Swan urged “all of Somalia’s political leaders to pull back from confrontation and avoid risky winner-take-all tactics.” “Instead, this is a time to pursue dialogue and compromise to reach an inclusive and credible political agreement to hold elections as soon as possible based on the 17 September model,” he added.

Somalia missed a deadline to hold an election by February 8, when President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, better known by his nickname Farmajo, was due to step down, sparking a constitutional crisis in the already-fragile state. Farmajo and Somalia’s five regional leaders reached an agreement on September 17 that abandoned a promised one-person, one-vote ballot but offered a common path forward for elections.

But they have been unable to resolve squabbles over how the vote is to be conducted. A coalition of opposition candidates have said they no longer recognize Farmajo as president and have vowed mass protests until he steps down. “I remain convinced that the consensus-based 17 September model offers the best available option to proceed quickly to an electoral process for selection of members of parliament, senators, and the president,” the UN envoy said.