Now you are talking real: Somalia starts conferences for constitution

[Old_Observer]

Now that the speaker Jawari has been put away and it seems the prime minister has some control, is good news that the constitutional file is being worked on. The prime minister has provided the money and he wants this work to finish within a year.

The simple fact that the constitution is being put as priority is great news. All the best. Even a rush rush one is better than none.

 

 

 

 

[Old_Observer]

Somalia launches constitutional review process ahead of 2020 elections

Report

from African Union Mission in Somalia

Published on 13 May 2018

Mogadishu, 13 May 2018 - Somalia today launched the constitutional review process at a national convention held in Mogadishu and attended by Members of Parliament, religious leaders, civil society and international partners.

Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, who led the nation in launching the process, pledged financial and political support to the process to ensure the country gets a new Constitution by the end of next year.

Mr. Khaire said there was need to finalize the constitutional process to unify the country, promote economic growth and above all deliver a new document for posterity.

“I hereby confirm that my government has pledged $3million for the constitution process to be finalized. However, this pledge should produce a Somalia-owned document, Somali thinking, Somali economy, Somali advice and new Somali unity that rebuilds the Somali nation we lost,” Prime Minister added.

Somalia is currently governed by a Provisional Constitution, adopted on August 1, 2012, after years of conflict. The federal and state governments plan to have a new document ready ahead of the one-person one-vote elections scheduled for 2020.

Mr. Khaire said Somalia needs a new Constitution to accomplish the movement towards one-person one-vote to give the population an opportunity to pick leaders of their choice.

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) and head of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Ambassador Francisco Madeira, commended the efforts of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and the Prime Minister Hassan for prioritizing the constitutional review process in accordance with Somalia’s Political Roadmap.

“As we implement the transition plan and handover more security responsibilities to you the Somalis, this consultation and the subsequent voicing of your opinions on how you, the Somalis, wish to be governed, is the beginning of Somalia taking charge of its responsibilities,” SRCC said.

He called for a wide consultative engagement, whose outcome should aim at facilitating a fair and inclusive political process in Somalia.

The Minister of Constitutional Affairs, Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, traced the history of the constitution making in Somalia, which began in 2000 in Djibouti and later moved to Nairobi, Kenya, before the eventual adoption of a Provisional Constitution in 2012 through a constituent Assembly.

“The agreement which we signed at the Office of the Prime minister last November made us become one united group without any divisions,” the minister said of the tripartite agreement signed by the Constitution Review Commission, the Parliamentary Oversight Committee and his ministry.

Jibril said through the tripartite agreement, the Constitution Review Commission is determined to give the people of Somalia a new document as soon as possible so that the next elections in 2020 are held under a new political dispensation.

The Speaker of the Upper House of Parliament Abdi Hashi Abdullahi, who also attended the convention, called for an inclusive process to enable the country produce a better document.

“An inclusive constitution should be the foundation of rebuilding the government of Somalia,” said the Speaker, adding; “a federal constitution should clearly define the essential elements that are pillars of the rebuilding the country and implementing the federal system of government.”

A women’s rights activist, Zahra Mohamed Ahmed, pleaded with the team reviewing the constitution to ensure the 30 percent quota for women was protected and the rights of the people with disabilities enhanced.

The three-day national convention is the beginning of a process to give Somalia a new constitution to replace the 2012 Provisional Constitution which was agreed upon by 825 delegates at the National Constituent Assembly.

[Old_Observer]

28 minutes ago, Ducale said:

Is somalia's constitution writen by Somali or does it go through Uganda to give the ok?  Am certain that constitution is not kosher.

Not sure abut that, but if there was a ratified constitution in place the UAE/Qatar thing would have been handled in a much better way and very unambigeous way.

[Old_Observer]

Hundreds gather in Mogadishu for Somalia's review of its Federal Constitution

0

Monday May 14, 2018 - 20:46:14 in Latest News by Burhan Salad

 

Mogadishu – Hundreds of representatives from Somali society are gathered today in the capital, Mogadishu, for the second day of a national constitutional convention, with the event marking the start of a review of Somalia's federal constitution that will produce a new political charter for the Horn of Africa country by 2019. Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire opened the three-day convention on Sunday. It has drawn more than 350 delegates, among them members of the federal Parliament, and representatives of Somalia’s Federal Member States, religious leaders, civil society representatives and international partners.

In his remarks, the Prime Minister said the government and the two houses of Parliament should finalize the review process and bequeath Somalia with a new constitution that reflects the aspirations of the entire nation.

"I hereby confirm that my government has pledged $3 million for the constitution process to be finalized. This pledge should produce a Somalia-owned document, Somali thinking, and a new Somali unity that rebuilds the Somali nation we lost,” he said.

 

 

Somalia is currently governed by a Provisional Constitution that was adopted in August 2012. The promulgation of a new and permanent constitution is expected before the country holds a ‘one-person, one-vote election’ in 2020. The review process will have to address a number of unresolved constitutional issues such as the future status of Mogadishu and the sharing of powers and resources between the federal government and the Federal Member States.
 

Mr. Khaire also called on the convention delegates and the Somali people to work together in a spirit of unity on a new constitution.

 

The federal Minister of Constitutional Affairs, Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, reminded the assembled delegates that Somalia’s quest for a new constitution began at a peace conference held in the Djiboutian city of Arta in 2000.

 

While the constitutional review process is scheduled to finish by the end of next year, Minister Hosh conveyed a plea from Federal President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ‘Farmaajo’ to expedite the process as much as possible.

 

In his remarks at the event on Sunday, the Speaker of the federal Parliament’s Upper House, Abdi Hashi Abdullahi, called for a clear definition of responsibilities and powers in the federal constitution.

 

"An inclusive constitution should be the foundation for rebuilding the government of Somalia,” the Speaker said. "And a federal constitution should clearly define the essential elements that are the pillars for rebuilding the country and implementing the federal system of government.”

 

The convention was also addressed by the Chairperson of the Somali National Women Association, Batulo Sheikh Ahmed Gaballe, who hailed the opening of the gathering as "a great day” that was needed to prepare for the future of the Somali nation and government.

[maakhiri1]

Of course things will move, an obstacle called Jawaare has been removed!

[Old_Observer]

Somalia launches constitutional review process

By Joyce Namutebi

Added 14th May 2018 09:39 PM

Present were Members of Parliament, religious leaders, civil society and international partners, according to information provided on Monday.

Somalis holding copies of the constitution

Somalia has launched a constitutional review process at a national convention held in Mogadishu.

Present were Members of Parliament, religious leaders, civil society and international partners, according to information provided on Monday.

Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire, who led the nation in launching the process, pledged financial and political support to the process to ensure the country gets a new Constitution by the end of next year.

He said there was need to finalise the constitutional process to unify the country, promote economic growth and above all deliver a new document for posterity.

“I hereby confirm that my government has pledged $3million for the constitution process to be finalized. However, this pledge should produce a Somalia-owned document, Somali thinking, Somali economy, Somali advice and new Somali unity that rebuilds the Somali nation we lost,” Prime Minister added.

Somalia is currently governed by a Provisional Constitution, adopted on August 1, 2012, after years of conflict. The federal and state governments plan to have a new document ready ahead of the one-person one-vote elections scheduled for 2020.

Khaire said Somalia needs a new Constitution to accomplish the movement towards one-person one-vote to give the population an opportunity to pick leaders of their choice.

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) and head of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), Ambassador Francisco Madeira, commended the efforts of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and the Prime Minister Hassan for prioritizing the constitutional review process in accordance with Somalia’s Political Roadmap.

“As we implement the transition plan and handover more security responsibilities to you the Somalis, this consultation and the subsequent voicing of your opinions on how you, the Somalis, wish to be governed, is the beginning of Somalia taking charge of its responsibilities,” SRCC said.

He called for a wide consultative engagement, whose outcome should aim at facilitating a fair and inclusive political process in Somalia.
The Minister of Constitutional Affairs, Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, traced the history of the constitution making in Somalia, which began in 2000 in Djibouti and later moved to Nairobi, Kenya, before the eventual adoption of a Provisional Constitution in 2012 through a constituent Assembly.

“The agreement which we signed at the Office of the Prime minister last November made us become one united group without any divisions,” the minister said of the tripartite agreement signed by the Constitution Review Commission, the Parliamentary Oversight Committee and his ministry.

Jibril said through the tripartite agreement, the Constitution Review Commission is determined to give the people of Somalia a new document as soon as possible so that the next elections in 2020 are held under a new political dispensation.

The Speaker of the Upper House of Parliament Abdi Hashi Abdullahi, who also attended the convention, called for an inclusive process to enable the country produce a better document.

“An inclusive constitution should be the foundation of rebuilding the government of Somalia,” said the Speaker, adding; “a federal constitution should clearly define the essential elements that are pillars of the rebuilding the country and implementing the federal system of government.”

A women’s rights activist, Zahra Mohamed Ahmed, pleaded with the team reviewing the constitution to ensure the 30 percent quota for women was protected and the rights of the people with disabilities enhanced.

The three-day national convention is the beginning of a process to give Somalia a new constitution to replace the 2012 Provisional Constitution which was agreed upon by 825 delegates at the National Constituent Assembly.

[Old_Observer]

Somali President promises to deliver new constitution

16th May 2018 John Snow 

 

President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has promised to ensure Somalia holds the next elections under a new constitutional order.

The President made assurance, yesterday, in a speech read on his behalf by the Speaker of the House of the People, Mohamed Mursal Abdirahman, at the end of a three-day national constitutional convention in Mogadishu.

He noted that the search for a new constitution had taken too long since it was launched in Djibouti, in the year 2000, adding that the process must be speeded up.

Though the review timetable expects the new document to be ready by the end of 2019, President Farmaajo’s administration is determined to complete the process ahead of schedule.

“We are determined to put an end the review and finalize Somalia’s constitution by end of 2018. The process of constitutional review has gone on for too long and this is the right time to put an end to it,” the President said.

He said the delivery of a new constitution was one of the three key promises that led to his election in February 2017, adding the document would foster unity, bring political stability and enable the country co-exist peacefully with its neighbours.

Somalia is governed by a Provisional Constitution agreed in 2012 and the promulgation of a new and permanent constitution is expected to address a number of unresolved constitutional issues including the ‘one-person one-vote’, the future status of Mogadishu and the sharing of powers and resources between the federal government and the federal member states.

The Federal Minister of Constitutional Affairs, Abdirahman Hosh Jibril, told the convention, attended by more than 350 delegates, among them, members of parliament, religious leaders and representatives from the federal member states and the civil society, that the team leading the review process had accepted to be accountable to the Somali people.

“We are all working to finalize the writing of this constitution and facilitate ‘one-person one-vote’,” Minister Jibril said adding; “I’m one of the oldest people here but I’m embarrassed that I’ve never had the privilege to vote. As a citizen of Somalia, I want to get an opportunity to say that I voted.”

The Deputy Chairperson of the Independent Constitutional Review and Implementation Commission (ICRIC), Mohamed Abdalla Salah, presented a timetable that will guide the team deliver a new constitution for Somalia by the end of 2019.

“The national convention is calling for the following principles to be the basis for the review process; ownership of the process should be Somali-led and Somali-owned, the review process should be finalized by December 29, 2019,” Mr. Salah observed. A civil society activist, Hoodo Hashi, said it was a great day for the constitutional review process, adding that the final document should be inclusive and agreed upon through consensus.

A former administrator, Abdikadir Mohamed Nur Sidii, praised the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) for restoring peace in the country, saying it has enabled the convention to finally take place in the country.

“Without peace nobody can come here (to Somalia). But AMISOM has done a good job here in Somalia, they brought peace and stability,” Mr. Sidii noted.