International partners on Friday called on Somali leaders to step up efforts to ensure a credible and swift completion of the electoral process.
The partners, including the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations, also called on all leaders to avoid an escalation of political tensions and to ensure that security forces are not used as political instruments.
Given the Feb. 25 deadline agreed by the January 2022 National Consultative Council (NCC), partners encourage continued momentum to ensure a credible and urgent conclusion of the electoral process,” the partners said in a joint statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
According to the Federal Indirect Elections Team, only 153 out of 275 lawmakers of the lower house of parliament have been elected as the elections are ongoing in Mogadishu and regional states.
The electoral body said the remaining members of the House of the People will be elected before the Feb. 25 deadline.
The partners also stressed the need for procedural irregularities to be addressed in an impartial and transparent manner in order to build confidence in the electoral process and its outcomes.
The candidates must be free to compete without obstruction as outlined in the NCC January resolutions, the statement said.
“Journalists should be able to report on and civil society free to observe electoral activities without intimidation,” the statement added.
The 54-member Senate and the 275 members of the lower house are expected to jointly elect a new president later in 2022.
