Somalia /
Transitional Federal Parliament expanded by 275 seats.
MOGADISHU, Somalia, January 27, 2009/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Daily press briefing by the office of the spokesperson for the UN secretary-general
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, said he is “extremely encouraged” by the majority decision by Somali lawmakers to expand the Transitional Federal Parliament by 275 seats.
The decision, which was adopted in Djibouti this past weekend, creates up to 200 new seats in the Somali Parliament, whose holders will be selected by the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia. They will be sworn in in Djibouti, where the Alliance is in reconciliation talks with the Transitional Federal Government. Another 75 seats have been set aside for civil society and opposition politicians who are not affiliated with the Alliance.
The expanded Parliament is expected to elect Somalia’s new Head of State, who is in turn expected to take the oath of office later this month.
SOURCE : United Nations – Office of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General
