Talks on Somalia's election to resume next week in Mogadishu - source

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The leaders of the Federal Government and the Federal Member States are expected to meet in Mogadishu next Sunday to discuss the country's long-standing electoral dispute.

A source close to the presidency told Garowe Online that mediation by International partners has succeeded in persuading the parties to open the conference on March 21.

All heads of the Federal States already arrived in Mogadishu and have been holding separate meetings with foreign ambassadors based in Halane in recent days.

The upcoming forum was organized by the partners to bring together Somali political stakeholders who have been facing pressure to reach a consensus on the electoral process.

Puntland and Jubaland in the past demanded that opposition candidates be included in the election talks, but Villa Somalia refused after PM met with the opposition. 

It is not known if the next week's summit will be fruitful, as the parties showed no signs to compromise in order to resolve the deadlock over the elections.

Somalia's international partners have urged all actors to take concrete action regarding the election to prevent the country slide into a power vacuum and political chaos. 

The outgoing president Farmajo whose 4-year term ended last month failed to hold an inclusive, timely, and peaceful election to pick a successor and a new parliament.

GAROWE ONLINE