Six political parties received their provisional registration certificates issued by the office of the Political Parties Registrar (OPPR) at a ceremony on 8 October at the NIEC headquarters in Mogadishu.
The six Political Parties are:
- Security and Justice Party
- Qaransoor Party
- Justice and Reconciliation Party
- Somali Republic Party
- Green Party
- Peace and Unity Party
The ceremony was presided over by National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) Chairperson, Halima Ismail Ibrahim, and included Mr. Mohamed Mohamud Hassan Sandere, the Director of the Office of the Political Parties Registrar.
Mr. Sandere welcomed the newly registered Political Parties and praised them for their desire to participate in developing the political party system in the country and urged the parties to make all necessary preparations to become officially registered once the Amendments to the Political Parties Law receives the assent of the President . He also encouraged Political Parties to work together to ensure democratic elections are held in the country by 2024.
The leaders of the political parties thanked the NIEC for their professionalism during the registration process and expressed the desire for the country to move from the divisive, clan-based power sharing formula to a more inclusive democratic electoral process.
The NIEC Chairperson, Halima Ismail Ibrahim, stated that political parties play a crucial role in the political and economic development of their country and their presence is a good indicator of strong democratic transition and must be encouraged. The NIEC chairperson stated that the electoral process is a collective responsibility and encouraged the Political Parties to follow the Political Parties Law and obtain their official registration which will enable the political parties to compete in the 2024 direct federal elections.