NAIROBI, Kenya Jun 23 2012 (Garowe Online) – Somali leaders
who met in Nairobi
agreed to a proposed constitution after months at the drawing-board, Garowe
Online reports.
Signatories of the Roadmap met in Nairobi on Wednesday and agreed to a proposed
constitution after the initial one was revised and amended.
The agreement by Somali leaders on the proposed constitution
was regarded as a ‘critical step’ in the completion of the transitional period,
by UN Special Representative to Somalia.
"This stage in Nairobi is probably the
most critical because it ushers in the accomplishment of one of the major steps
to end the transition," said Augustine Mahiga.
The proposed constitution will be presented to the National
Constituent Assembly (NCA) next month, who will vote on the constitution.
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Prime Minister,
Abdiweli Mohamed Ali Gaas who gave a speech at the Nairobi
meeting said that his administration focused their attention on completing the Somalia constitution.
“
Although some of the benchmarks of Security, Good Governance
and Political Outreach are priority tasks of the Roadmap, the completion of the
constitution seemed to my administration from the outset to be the most
critical task to end the transition,” said Prime Minister Gaas at the closing
of the meeting which wrapped up on Friday.
The selection of the NCA to vote on the proposed constitution,
and the selection of a Federal Parliament are the next major benchmarks in the
Roadmap.
Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole welcomed the
outcome of the Nairobi
meeting but stressed the importance of a qualified new Federal Parliament who
will be selected by the traditional elders before August.
“Those campaigning to become members of parliament need to go
about it in the correct manner, and on the other hand those selecting the MPs
need to search for qualified and capable people who can make Somalia a better country,” said
President Farole.
Time which has been a factor in the end of the transitional government
is running out on the TFG, with less than two months left to complete the
transition, leaders have expressed confidence that they could meet the
deadline.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have 58 days to make history. Let
us not waste a single minute,” said PM Gaas in his closing remarks at the Nairobi meeting.
GAROWE ONLINE
