MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – The United States and the United Kingdom on Sunday voiced their support for a meeting of the National Consultative Council called by the Prime Minister to discuss ways to remove barriers to transparent polls as war of words between Roble and Somalia’s embattled leader Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo escalates over the long-delayed electoral process.
“We continue to support the call for an in-person National Consultative Council meeting in Mogadishu,” US embassy in Mogadishu tweeted on Sunday, saying discussions between regional leaders and the Premier are critical to expediting the electoral process and “correcting observed shortcomings”.
Puntland and Jubaland regional presidents threw their support behind the conference and said they would arrive in Mogadishu to attend the meeting scheduled for Monday. But the leader of Southwest state, a key ally of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, boycotted the meeting, saying he would participate in a parallel consultative summit expected to be convened by the President.
The leaders of Galmudug and Hirshabelle states have not clarified their positions on the conference so far.
“We continue to support calls for an in-person National Consultative Council meeting in Mogadishu. This important forum is where grievances and issues should be addressed,” UK embassy in Somalia said.
Roble held a virtual meeting with ambassadors of several donor nations on Sunday, shortly after he rebuked the President for a statement in which he had disclosed an intention to pick a new “capable” Prime Minister to spearhead elections and called for a unified stance against spoilers in Somalia’s elections.
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