STORY: ELECTION DIALOGUE IN SOMALIA

TRT: 3: 02
SOURCE: AU/UN IST
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CREDIT REQUIRED: AU/UN IST
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/SOMALI/NATS
DATELINE: 7
th
MAY 2014, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOTLIST:
1. Wide shot, Jazeera Palace hotel
2. Close up, EISA banner
3. Wide shot, Annie Demirjian, the UNSOM Director for the Political and Mediation
Group
4. Close up, Annie Demirjian, the UNSOM Director for the Political and Mediation
Group
5. Close up, participants clapping
6. Close up, participants at the dialogue
7. Close up, participants
8. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) , Annie Demirjian, the UNSOM Director for the
Political and Mediation Group:
Our mandate is to support the Somali government, the Somali society through
our mandate in supporting the constitutional process, the electoral process, the
reconciliation process, state building and federalism.
9. Wide shot, Hama Munyikwa, the Somali Country Representative Electoral
Institute for Sustainable Development in Africa (EISA)
10. Med shot, participants at the dialogue
11. Med shot, participants
12. Wide shot, Hama Munyikwa EISA Country Representative addressing the
participants
13. SOUNDBITE: (ENGLISH) Hama Munyikwa, the Somali Country Representative
Electoral Institute for Sustainable Development in Africa (EISA):
The last democratic elections held in Somalia were in 1967, so elections havent
been part of the living memory of the Somali people, so awareness is very low.
This is what EISA is hoping to do here in Somalia, to bring this awareness to the
people, by just showing them the images and giving them optimism to move
towards elections in their own country and show that these situations have
happened in other countries across the continent.
14. Wide shot, participants deliberating
15. Med shot, participants
16. Close up, participant
17. Med shot, participants at the dialogue
18. Wide shot, participants
19. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) Dahabo Sheikh Mohamoud, of the Somali Union of
Peace and Development:
The heavy burden is on us as the women and children and we hope to get out of
these problems, to reach the stage of one man, one vote. One day, God willing, we
will have these elections.
20. SOUNDBITE (SOMALI) Abdikarim Abdulle Ali, a Somali citizen:
I would like to propose that a peaceful environment should be ensured first in
Somalia to enable the elections take place. The elections will be for the local
administrations and the Central government. For people to benefit from these,
we should start with the elections of the local administrations like Mogadishu,
Kismayo, Baidoa, Johwar, et al to be able to hold the elections of the central
government more easily.
21. Med shot, participants
22. Wide shot, participants at the dialogue.


STORY:
Dialogue and engagement by civil society have begun among the Somali public ahead of
the 2016 general elections. Somalia has not held elections in over 40 years and the
Federal Government, its partners and the civil society are working towards an election,
in which all the Somali people will participate.
A section of the public gathered in Mogadishu today for sensitization on what holding an
election entails and for them to share their views and expectation as citizens.
Todays discussion was hosted by the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Development in
Africa (EISA) under the theme: Elections and Building Democracy in Somalia.
Speaking during the dialogue, Annie Demirjian, the United Nations Assistance Mission in
Somalias Director for the Political and Mediation Group, reiterated the support of the
UN to the political process in Somalia
Our mandate is to support the Somali government, the Somali society through our
mandate in supporting the constitutional process, the electoral process, the
reconciliation process, state building and federalism, she said.
Hama Munyikwa, the EISA Somali Country Representative says the levels of civic
awareness among the Somali people are very low and there is need for more of such
sensitization activities to be extended to the masses. He emphasized the need to give
hope to the population, especially by drawing lessons from countries that have emerged
from similar circumstances.
The last democratic elections held in Somalia were in 1967, so elections havent been
part of the living memory of the Somali people, so awareness is very low. This is what
EISA is hoping to do here in Somalia, to bring this awareness to the people, by just
showing them the images and giving them optimism to move towards elections in their
own country and show that these situations have happened in other countries across
the continent, he noted.
The processes involved in an election cycle were explained to the participants and their
role as citizens explained.
The Somali citizens in attendance expressed confidence and zeal to participate in the
2016 elections.
Dahabo Sheikh Mohamoud, of the Somali Union of Peace and Development says more
effort needs to be invested in having women involved and engaged as agents of change
in their own communities.
The heavy burden is on us as the women and children and we hope to get out of these
problems, to reach the stage of one man, one vote. One day, God willing, we will have
these elections, she said.
Abdikarim Abdulle Ali, a Somali citizen emphasized the need to ensure improved
security if the elections are to be held successfully.
I would like to propose that a peaceful environment should be ensured first in Somalia
to enable the elections take place. The elections will be for the local administrations and
the Central government. For people to benefit from these, we should start first with the
elections of the local administrations like Mogadishu, Kismayo, Baidoa, Johwar, et al to
be able to hold the elections of the central government more easily, he said.
The preparation for and holding credible elections are key priorities in the New Deal for
Somalia. This is part of the process to ensure an all-inclusive political and reconciliation
process. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is working with the Somali
Federal Government to improve the security environment and provide a conducive
environment for the elections to be held.
End.