The international community on Monday called on Somali political leaders to resume their dialogue urgently to reach an agreement to hold national elections in time.
The AU, EU and UN among other bodies in a joint statement welcomed the efforts made by the leaders to find agreement on the implementation of the Sept. 17 electoral model during a meeting which ended in the central town of Dhusamareb.
The partners said the fifth round of talks held on Feb. 1, made progress on many important points, but did not reach a consensus on all outstanding issues.
“We believe that it remains possible to reach consensus, and that all sides are open to further discussions,” the partners said in a joint statement issued in Mogadishu.
“We call upon Somalia’s leaders to resume their dialogue urgently to reach a final agreement permitting national elections to take place as soon as possible.”
The statement comes after the Dhusamareb talks deadlocked on Friday evening over composition and management of the elections in Jubbaland regional state.
President Mohamed Farmajo who held talks with regional leaders from Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Puntland, Jubbaland and Southwest state said the government side made many concessions on all contentious issues but these could not break the deadlock.
He later told both Houses on Saturday that his government was ready to implement the agreement reached on Sept.17 between the regional state leaders and the federal government.
The president who is seeking a second term in office said there would be no power vacuum in the country but did not elaborate.
Failure to resolve the electoral impasse has plunged Somalia into a political crisis since President Farmajo’s term ended on Feb. 8 while the four-year term of parliament ended on Dec. 27, 2020.
The partners welcomed Farmajo’s willingness to continue discussions between the government and federal member states aimed at identifying an agreed way forward for the holding of elections.
“We strongly support further dialogue in a calm and constructive spirit.
“We once again underscore that any alternative outcomes, including a parallel process or partial elections, or any other actions that lack broad agreement, would not obtain the support of partners,” they said.
The partners called on the political leaders to build on the positive aspects of the Dhusamareb discussions, and continue to work together to agree on the implementation of elections in the national interest.
Somalia on Dec. 1, 2020 missed a deadline to hold its parliamentary elections which were due to begin as agreed by the government and six regional states in September 2020.
Parliamentary and presidential elections were to be held between December 2020 and February, respectively. (Xinhua/NAN)