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UN chief welcomes Somalia's timetable for electoral process

Xinhua, August 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday welcomed the announcement of Somalia's timetable for its electoral process this year, which sets out to elect a new president at the end of October.

Somalia's electoral body on Sunday released the timetable, saying that parliament members will be elected from Sept. 24 to Oct. 10, and the presidential election will be held on Oct. 30.

Somalian leaders endorsed the timetable earlier on Tuesday at a meeting for preparations for the upcoming elections.

Ban said the 2016 electoral process is "an important milestone in Somalia's journey towards democracy," and he urged all parties to refrain from any action that would cause further delay, according to a statement released by his spokesperson.

Ban also commended the commitment of Somalia's electoral body to ensure that one-third of parliamentary seats are set aside for female candidates, hailing it as a signal of the country's progress towards inclusive political governance.

Somalia was plunged into chaos in early 1990s following the toppling of the military regime of President Siad Barre. It has not held elections for decades.

Currently, the country has been faced with the threat of the extremist group Al-Shabaab, which has launched frequent attacks to topple the Somali government. Endit