UN Security Council voices regret over Somalia's delayed election process

The UN Security Council on Wednesday expressed regret over repeated delays of this year's parliamentary and presidential elections in Somalia, calling on all the Somali parties to follow the revised schedule and reach agreement on the remaining political challenges soon.

"The members of the Security Council expressed regret at the announcement by the Federal Indirect Election Implementation Team (FIEIT) on Sept. 26, 2016 that the timetable for the 2016 electoral process required a further extension," the 15-nation UN body said in a statement.

The statement was issued here late Wednesday after the council was briefed by the special representative of the UN secretary-general for Somalia, Michael Keating, and the special representative of the African Union Chairperson on Somalia, Francisco Madeira, on the situation in Somalia.

"The members of the Security Council underlined that holding a peaceful, transparent and inclusive electoral process in 2016 will mark a historic step forward for all Somalis, and will be fundamental for the country's continued progress towards democracy and stability," the statement said.

The council members called on all parties to "adhere to the implementation plan put in place by the FIEIT, and to demonstrate the political will to ensure the revised timetable will be met," the statement said.

The latest postponement decision was the second by the Somali electoral body since August, in which both polls were slated for under the original time table.

The FIEIT said the parliamentary elections will be held from Oct. 23 to Nov. 10 for both the Lower and Upper houses, while the presidential election will take place on Nov. 30. Endi