The National Independent Electoral Commission is a member of regional and international electoral management bodies (EMBs). Its currently a member of Africa’s EMB, Arab nations EMB and the Association of World Electoral Bodies (A-web).
To be a member of this organizations serves a great purpose. It helps foster good relations, builds NIEC capacity while ensuring Somalia’s government institutions participate in international meetings and conferences in order to meet their international obligations.
The NIEC chairperson Ms. Halima Ismail led a delegation comprising several commissioners to A-Web’s international conference on initiatives and challenges of social media and information technology in Bengaluru, India from 2nd to 5th September.
A-Web is the largest association of EMBs and is based in South Korea. It comprises of 106 countries and 114 organizations.
Somalia’s NIEC was voted to be a member of A-Web’s executive committee. The delegates at the conference were impressed by NIECs preparations to conduct the forthcoming general elections in 2020 and the country’s democratization.
Somalia’s membership to A-Web executive committee means they shall represent Africa’s EMBs at A-Web’s executive arm. This will open a door of opportunity to NIEC as it gears up to conduct elections in 2020.
Speaking at the conference, NIEC chair Ms. Ismail stated that the electoral commission is dedicated to conduct Somalia’s 2020 One person one vote election and outlined the opportunities and challenges social media and information technology will serve in the country’s forthcoming elections.