Somalia: Puntland's representatives for the constitutional vote, prepared 17 Jul 17, 2012 - 3:37:36 AM
GAROWE, Somalia Jul 17 2012 (Garowe Online) – Puntland state’s technical selection committee has announced that the representatives for the assembly who will vote on the constitution have been selected, Garowe Online reports.
Sadiq Abshir Garraad Member of Parliament Photo (Garowe Online
The committee which is a component of the national technical selection committee held a press conference at the presidential palace in Garowe on Tuesday, and announced that the list for Puntland’s National Constituent Assembly (NCA) is complete.
Sadiq Abshir Garraad a member of the Puntland parliament and one of four members of Puntland’s technical selection committee opened the press conference explaining the technical committee’s role.
“The technical committee was mandated to confirm if the traditional elders’ selection of representatives met the requirements needed to become part of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), and I am glad to say that the representatives selected have met the requirements,” said MP Sadiq.
The members of the committee described that the requirements or criteria needed to join the NCA was agreed on by signatories -leaders in regional and federal levels – at the Garowe II principles conference held earlier this year.
Fadumo Ibrahim a civil society representative Photo (Garowe Online)
Fadumo Ibrahim a civil society representative and member of the technical selection committee also gave a brief statement at the press conference requesting that representatives be quickly taken to Mogadishu to begin the constitutional vote.
“Since the deadline of August is approaching we are requesting that the transportation of the representatives be sped up so the constitutional vote can convene and we could successfully move out of the transitional phase,” said Fadumo.
Although the constitutional vote has been delayed twice over the past two months, Somali officials and representatives of the international community have expressed confidence in ending the transition on time.
