The progress in Somalia’s elections represents unstoppable momentum to complete the process very soon, the country’s international partners said on Tuesday.

In a joint statement, the partners, including the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and more than 20 countries, noted that 91 per cent of the House of the People seats have now been chosen.

They urged Hirshabelle State and Jubaland State, the only ones yet to complete the electoral process for the House of the People, to do so.

“As the focus now turns to the convening of parliament in Mogadishu — and election of the parliamentary speakers and then the national president — we call on Somalia’s political leaders to ensure that these processes reflect wide consensus,” the statement read in part.

The Somalia elections, initially scheduled to be held a year ago, have been riddles with delays amid disagreements on how they would be conducted and infighting between the president and prime minister.

In end-February, the United States government imposed visa restrictions on Somali officials and individuals whom it accused of “undermining the democratic process in Somalia,” after yet another delay in the parliamentary elections.

Pressure has been high on the country’s leaders to resolve their disagreements through dialogue in order to allow the elections to take place to give way for a unified national government.

According to the international partners, once the elections are completed, leaders can “then address other urgent national priorities, such as responding to the devastating drought and building Somalia’s security and prosperity in the years ahead.”

Source: CGTN