Draft Constitution Of Somalia Finalized

[Somalia]

PRESS RELEASE:

 

Mogadishu, April 23, 2012. Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has today affirmed the finalization of the draft constitution on 20 April 2012 by the Independent Federal Constitution Commission (IFCC) and Committee of Experts (CoE) in conformity with the Charter stipulations, the Roadmap timelines and the Garowe principles.

The efforts of the TFG and the IFCC and the CoE was a culmination of eight years of sustained concentration on the constitutional making process, marred by failures, setbacks and successes. In 2004, it was agreed through the provisions of the then new Charter that a crucial priority of ending the transitional arrangements was to complete a Federal Consitution based on equity, fairness and justice.

 

The government of Prime Minisiter Abdwali Mohamed early in its mandate prioritized its agenda through the Road Map signed on September 6, 2011, and one of the key benchmarks contained in the Road Map was a call to complete the draft constitution by April 20, 2012. The Prime Minister said “ It is with certain pride that I announce that a key benchmark task of the Road Map has been achieved on time and I want to thank the Somali public who through public participations made passionate contributions to the document, the IFCC and the CoE who placed the public interest before their private interests, the Ministers of the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs and Reconciliation, my staff and also our technical partners in the international community for making this important milestone a reality”

 

The Prime Minister reiterated that the delivery of the draft constitution represents a significant milestone in the path towards a new constitution for the Somali people with compliance of Shari ‘a Law and will usher a new era of constitutional processes that will enable the Somali people to become a society bound by a constitutional regime based on humane foundational principles and objective fair processes, and never ever to be dictated to by the whims of powerful individuals, groups or ideologies.

 

 

 

The draft constitution will be presented to the National Constituent Assembly for adoption on May 15, 2012, as agreed to in the Roadmap and with the Garowe Principles. The Constituent Assembly comprising 825 delegates from a cross section of Somali society will consider the draft constitution for a two-week period and then vote on the provisional ratification of the draft constitution.

 

The Prime Minister emphasized that a positive vote from the National Constituent Assembly will turn the draft into the Provisional Constitution of Somalia. It will remain provisional until the government can organize a national referendum to give each Somali man and woman the opportunity to vote on the Somali constitution.

 

Mogadishu, April 23, 2012. Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali has today affirmed the finalization of the draft constitution on 20 April 2012 by the Independent Federal Constitution Commission (IFCC) and Committee of Experts (CoE) in conformity with the Charter stipulations, the Roadmap timelines and the Garowe principles.

 

The efforts of the TFG and the IFCC and the CoE was a culmination of eight years of sustained concentration on the constitutional making process, marred by failures, setbacks and successes. In 2004, it was agreed through the provisions of the then new Charter that a crucial priority of ending the transitional arrangements was to complete a Federal Consitution based on equity, fairness and justice.

 

The government of Prime Minisiter Abdwali Mohamed early in its mandate prioritized its agenda through the Road Map signed on September 6, 2011, and one of the key benchmarks contained in the Road Map was a call to complete the draft constitution by April 20, 2012. The Prime Minister said “ It is with certain pride that I announce that a key benchmark task of the Road Map has been achieved on time and I want to thank the Somali public who through public participations made passionate contributions to the document, the IFCC and the CoE who placed the public interest before their private interests, the Ministers of the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs and Reconciliation, my staff and also our technical partners in the international community for making this important milestone a reality”

 

The Prime Minister reiterated that the delivery of the draft constitution represents a significant milestone in the path towards a new constitution for the Somali people with compliance of Shari ‘a Law and will usher a new era of constitutional processes that will enable the Somali people to become a society bound by a constitutional regime based on humane foundational principles and objective fair processes, and never ever to be dictated to by the whims of powerful individuals, groups or ideologies.

 

The draft constitution will be presented to the National Constituent Assembly for adoption on May 15, 2012, as agreed to in the Roadmap and with the Garowe Principles. The Constituent Assembly comprising 825 delegates from a cross section of Somali society will consider the draft constitution for a two-week period and then vote on the provisional ratification of the draft constitution.

 

The Prime Minister emphasized that a positive vote from the National Constituent Assembly will turn the draft into the Provisional Constitution of Somalia. It will remain provisional until the government can organize a national referendum to give each Somali man and woman the opportunity to vote on the Somali constitution.

 

“ This constitution belongs to the Somali people- men, women, children, old. If we use it properly, maintain it properly, improve it properly, it can become a powerful instrument for our collective liberation from oppression, human rights violations and all forms of indignities. Used properly, it will also usher in greater freedoms, economic development and prosperity.” Concluded the Prime Minister.

 

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