NAIROBI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Somalia in partnership with multilateral allies is working on modalities of institutionalizing political pluralism through registration of parties ahead of 2021 polls, an official said on Monday.
Chairperson of Somalia's National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC), Halima Ibrahim said that registration of political parties that have sound policy and legal structures will pave way for realization of "one person one vote" ideal aimed at promoting participatory democracy in the horn of African state.
"We have created an office for registering political parties headed by a former minister. In the last two years, we have gained new ground in strengthening institutional capacity of political parties through registration and financing," Ibrahim.
She spoke in Nairobi during a workshop on strengthening the institutional capacity of Somalia's polls body to facilitate political parties registration and financing attended by experts from Arab and African states.
The three-day workshop was supported by the UN Integrated Electoral Support Group (IESG) in partnership with the Arab Electoral Management Bodies Organization (ArabEMBs) and UNDP Regional Hub for Arab States.
Ibrahim said that Mogadishu is keen to gain expertise from bilateral partners in Africa and the Arab World on how to reconstruct political institutions after decades of civil strife.
"Our country has suffered from collapse of political institutions and we are ready to learn from experiences of Arab and African countries as we register more political parties to participate in the upcoming elections," said Ibrahim.
The Somalia government in September 2016 enacted a law to govern registration and regulation of political parties before the country hold national polls based on one person one vote in 2021.
Ibrahim said Somalia polls body has established structures to embed political pluralism in the country's nascent democratization agenda.
"We have prepared a manual (booklet) to guide registration of political parties and have set up mechanisms to promote a harmonious working relationship with them," said Ibrahim, adding that Somalia's poll body has embarked on public awareness campaigns to promote the concept of multipartism.
The Political Parties Registration Office set up in May by Somalia government and its multilateral partners marked a new chapter in the Horn of African country's quest to entrench political pluralism.
Director and Chief Electoral Advisor at the UN Integrated Electoral Support Group, Gerald Mitchell said that formation of political parties with solid structures will hasten Somalia's rebirth.
"Rebuilding democratic institutions in Somalia hinges on creation of professionally run political parties," Mitchell remarked adding that the era of participatory democracy in Somalia is looming.
