MOGADISHU, Somalia Aug 1 2012 (Garowe Online) – With less than
three weeks scheduled in the transitional government and over seven days of
deliberations, representatives have voted to adopt the Somali constitution,
Garowe Online reports.
The constitution was adopted by a whopping majority of 96
percent, 2 percent voted no, while another 2 percent gave a no vote.
Representatives of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA),
who were selected by traditional elders and were deliberating over the proposed
constitution for seven days.
Transitional Federal Government (TFG) officials were ecstatic
that the representatives adopted the constitution without funding from the
international community.
“We as Somalis agreed to focus on moving out of the transitional
period. People did not expect us to adopt a constitution without receiving
sufficient funds from the international community,” said Deputy Minister of the
Constitution and Federal Affairs, Abdikarim Haji Abdi.
Puntland President Abdirahman Mohamed Farole also congratulated
the Somali people and government officials who had worked tirelessly on the
constitution.
“Somali officials across Somalia have worked diligently over
the years because the Somali people needed a constitution and today is a
historic day in Somalia,” said President Farole.
The constitutional conference ended in a bang on Wednesday,
as two suicide bombers had bypassed security at the event and as they were
headed to the conference arena were stopped by troops.
According to sources, the troops began firing on the two
suicide bombers who detonated their explosives. It is still unclear how many troops
guarding the exterior of the arena were injured in the blast.
Representatives at the conference were not injured in the
explosion outside the conference venue and according to sources had continued their vote
and adopted the constitution.
Somalia now officially has a constitution after over 20
years of lawlessness, the Somali government has moved one step closer to being
an established government.
GAROWE ONLINE
