ANKARA – Turkey on Wednesday expressed concern over the election dam in Somalia and called on stakeholders to resolve their disputes through a constructive dialogue.
“We are concerned that the lack of consensus among stakeholders so far on the electoral process in Somalia could disrupt the Somali people’s expectations of their country’s development and achieve peace and prosperity,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry called on the federal government and member states of Somalia to meet to resolve disputes “with an inclusive and constructive dialogue based on consensus reached on 17 September 2020.”
It stressed the importance of holding the elections without further delay and reiterated Ankara’s support for the friendly people of Somalia and its government to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
The horn in the African country witnessed a political stalemate after the presidential and parliamentary elections were delayed and the presidential constitutional mandate expired on 8 February.
The agreement reached in September last year was seen as a major step towards Somalia holding indirect parliamentary and presidential elections in late 2020 and early 2021, respectively.
It has since stalled as the country’s divided political leaders differ on how to proceed with the election, despite President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed’s constitutional mandate expiring on February 8.
