Somalia's federal electoral law has now been approved by the House of the People and was signed into law by the President on 20 February. This law is part of the essential electoral legislative framework required so one-person-one-vote national elections that allow as many citizens as possible to vote can take place on time.
While this is an important step, more work needs to be done to address many outstanding questions necessary to implement the code. Somalia's international partners* recognize the responsibility accorded to the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) to implement the electoral law and stress the urgency of all Somali stakeholders - including the Federal Government of Somalia, Federal Member States, the Federal Parliament, and political parties - to cooperate with and support the NIEC as it embarks on the task of implementing the electoral law.
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