Welcome to MTV Somali Channel's Nightly News Bulletin. If you're new to us, please don't forget to subscribe in order not to miss out on our nightly news round in Somalia. You can catch all breaking news on our website www.mtvsomali.com. In today's headline, Somalia to head to the polls in 60 days. Prime Minister Roble. I am committed to holding free and fair elections in the country. Union of Candidates welcomes electoral agreement.
We start with. Somalia will head to elections in 60 days. A new deal signed by the country's leadership Wednesday has revealed bringing to an end several months of negotiations and bitter exchanges between the federal government, sections of the federal member states and the opposition. According to the agreement, both levels of governments will coordinate on the electoral process and prepare the country for elections in 60 days from now meaning Somalis will be electing new leaders in August.
The federal indirect elections team and its regional-level counterparts will prepare elections calendar, the agreement reads in part. Some of the other issues dealt with in the new agreement include security and administration of GEDO region.
A committee drawing membership from all the federal member states except Jubbaland will be constituted and tasked with nominating a commissioner and deputy for Gabari district within 30 days and submit the names to Jubbaland President Ahmed Madhobi for appointment.
The agreement also provides a solution to the the federal indirect elections team composition which had been contested by the opposition. It provides that contested names shall be submitted to the prime minister who will in turn transmit to the federal member states for replacement.
Security of the elections will be the responsibility of Somali Police Force and Amasam and will be headed by the Prime Minister. A nine-member committee led by the Prime Minister will draw membership from Somali Police Force and Amasam. Lastly on the issue of Somaliland, Prime Minister Mohamed Roble shall be responsible for the elections of Somaliland representatives on the recommendation of the Speaker of the Upper House and the Deputy Prime Minister.
Senate Speaker Abdi Hashi shall nominate four members to the Somaliland Electoral Team site, one member to the Federal Electoral Commission of Somaliland and one member to the Dispute Resolution Committee, the agreement reads.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the September 17 National Consultative Council meeting to finalise the agreement, Somali Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble thanked all parties involved in the election and expressed gratitude for the compromise and putting the country's interests ahead of private.
Prime Minister Roble said all points of contention have been agreed upon, including in the case of Gedo, the electoral process in the northern regions, vetting the structure of electoral commissions at the federal and state levels as well as the security of the country's elections. Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roblay pledged that his government would make every effort to ensure free and fair elections in the country.
calling on all electoral stakeholders and the Somali community to play their part in making the elections a success for the country and to overcome the political and security challenges it faces. The prime minister also said his government was committed to protecting the quota for Somali women in government. The union of candidates has welcomed the agreement reached on electoral issues following the formal signing of the election agreement today in Mogadishu.
The chairman of the candidates' union and former Somali president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed said at the closing ceremony of the consultative meeting that they welcomed the agreement and called for the agreement to be implemented. We welcome the agreement that has ended the fears and anxieties of the Somali people and politicians, and it is important that we establish a democratic system and that what is agreed upon is not violated, said Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.
Sheikh Sharif called on the federal and state governments to implement the agreement. Reaching an agreement is easy. We must implement the agreement reached for the election to take place. We call on the constituencies to elect people who can represent the government, he added. Former President Sheikh Sharif also said on the podium that the tensions in the past few months could have been avoided and called for forgiveness so that the elections could be held without any suspicion.
It was a political dispute. There was no tribal conflict. An agreement has been reached. We must forgive each other and open the election without any bias. It was a political vision conflict, that's all, said Sheikh Sharif. That's it for our nightly news bulletin roundup. Don't forget to subscribe to MTV Somali channel in order to not miss out on our nightly news roundup in Somalia.