STORY: Somalia’s electoral stakeholders agree to work

towards an efficient electoral system

DURATION: 4:21
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/SOMALI NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 9/AUGUST/2018, NAIROBI, KENYA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide pan shot, Simon Mulongo, Deputy Head of the African Union Mission in
Somalia (AMISOM) speaking at the closing of a four-day capacity building training on
electoral systems and boundaries delimitation for Somalia
2. Close up shot, Halima Ismael, Head of the Somalia National Independent Electoral
Commission (NIEC) listening at the closing
3. Close up shot, a participant listening
4. Wide shot, participants listening at the closing ceremony
5. Med shot, AMISOM senior officials attending the closing ceremony
6. Close up shot, an official from the Somalia National Independent Electoral
Commission attending the closing ceremony
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Simon Mulongo, Deputy Head of the African Union
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)
“African Union has values that it cherishes and Somalia being one of those very key
members of the AU, we would like to see that the promotion and protection of
human and peoples’ rights are not only protected, but also that we consolidate
democratic institutions and culture to ensure that there is good governance and rule
of law in our beloved country Somalia.”

8. Close up shot, a participant at the closing ceremony

9. Med shot, participants listening
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Simon Mulongo, Deputy Head of the African Union
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)
“People usually fear change because they don’t know what becomes of them after
change. So, there are those who may want to remain in their comfort zones and
don’t want to change. And so as such, it calls for clarity in strategy and clarity in
vision as to where you want to go and how you will arrive there to have a neutral
system that will be embrace by everyone.”

11. Med shot, participants listening

12. Wide shot, participants listening
13. Close up shot, a participant reading through documents during the closing
ceremony
14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Halima Ismael, the Head of the Somalia National
Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC)
“My fellow Somali brothers and sisters, this election belongs to all of us. Everyone
here holds a stake in turning our vision for universal (adult) suffrage in 2020 into a
reality. We either can lead our people to the polling station or we can continue on
this same 4.5 road. To choose, is ours.”

15. Wide shot, participants conducting a mock election

16. Close up shot, participants conducting a mock election
17. Med shot, a participant picks a ballot paper
18. Close up shot, polling booth
19. Close up shot, ballot paper
20. Extreme close up shot, ballot paper
21. Med shot, voting exercise
22. Wide shot, voting exercise
23. Med shot, vote counting
24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Robert Gerenge, the Principal Advisor for Election
Management Bodies, in the Department of Political Affairs of the African Union
Commission
“The kind of electoral system they are going to choose will also impact on the nature
of whether they will have to engage in electoral boundary delimitation and of course
it will also shape whether it will contribute to strengthening of political institutions,
and processes, but also political stability for Somalia because electoral systems,
when they are well-selected in such a post-conflict state, they can contribute to
reconciliation and inclusive politics and governance.”

25. Med shot, a participant receives a certificate of participation

26. Wide shot, a participant receives a certificate of participation
27. Close up shot, Simon Mulongo, Deputy Head of the African Union Mission in
Somalia (AMISOM) hands a certificate to a participant at the end of the workshop
28. Med shot, Simon Mulongo, Deputy Head of the African Union Mission in Somalia
(AMISOM) hands a certificate to a participant
29. Close up shot, Simon Mulongo, Deputy Head of the African Union Mission in
Somalia (AMISOM) hands a certificate to a participant at the end of the workshop
30. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Kamal Gutale, the Chairperson of Wadajir Party
“It was the first time that the newly registered political parties were participating.
We have learnt the different models of elections from countries that have been in
similar post-conflict situations like Somalia.”

31. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Mohamed Ali Adle, the Minister of Interior and Local
Government for HirShabelle State
“It was beneficial to all and we have learnt many things. It’s my belief that this will
be a new dawn for Somalia if the lessons are effectively implemented.”

32. Wide shot, voting process

Somalia’s electoral stakeholders agree to work towards an efficient electoral

system

Nairobi, 10 August 2018 – Somalia’s electoral stakeholders have concluded a four-

day highly engaging workshop on electoral processes and boundaries delimitation.

The capacity building workshop is the third in a series of electoral seminars that have
been convened for the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) and
stakeholders, by the Addis Ababa based African Union Commission and the AU
Mission in Somalia.

“It calls for clarity in strategy and clarity in vision as to where you want to go and
how you will arrive there to have a neutral system that will be embraced by
everyone,” observed Mr. Simon Mulongo, the deputy Head of AMISOM, during the
closing ceremony of the workshop, in Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Thursday.

Mr. Mulongo called for a constitutional framework, which clearly defines the
powers, obligations and responsibilities of electoral actors and delineates electoral
boundaries.

Inclusivity of minority groups, such as women and underrepresented communities,

featured prominently at the workshop, which was also attended by representatives
of newly registered political parties.

“We would not only like to see the promotion and protection of human and peoples’
rights, but also, that we consolidate democratic institutions and culture to ensure
that there is good governance and rule of law in our beloved country Somalia,” said
the deputy AU Special Representative for Somalia.

Ms. Halima Ismael, the NIEC chairperson acknowledged the depth of knowledge
derived from the training. She said the workshop was crucial in shaping the work of
the electoral commission, ahead of the envisaged one-person-one-vote elections.

“This election belongs to all of us (Somalis). Everyone here holds a stake in turning
our vision for universal (adult) suffrage in 2020 into a reality,” Ms. Halima told
participants at the workshop. “We either can lead our people to the polling station;
or we can continue on this same 4.5 road. To choose, is ours,” she remarked.

Although Somalia adopted the 4.5 clan-based voting method in the 2016 electoral
process, electoral stakeholders and partners are working towards universal suffrage
in the 2020 elections.

“The kind of electoral system they are going to choose will also impact on the nature
of whether they will have to engage in electoral boundary delimitation and of course
it will also shape whether it will contribute to strengthening of political institutions,
and processes, but also political stability for Somalia, because electoral systems,
when they are well-selected in such a post-conflict state, they can contribute to
reconciliation and inclusive politics and governance,” Mr. Robert Gerenge, the
Principal Advisor for Election Management Bodies, in the Department of Political
Affairs of the African Union Commission said.

The chairperson of Wadajir Party Mr. Kamal Gutale, urged participants at the
workshop to consider and implement ideas discussed over the four days of training.
“It was the first time that the newly registered political parties were participating.
We have learnt the different models of elections from countries that have been in
similar post-conflict situations like Somalia,” Kamal noted.

His sentiments were echoed by the HirShabelle Minister of Interior and Local
Government, Mr. Mohamed Ali Adle. “It was beneficial to all and we have learnt
many things. It will be a new dawn for Somalia if the lessons we have learnt in this
workshop are effectively implemented.”

Participants were taken through case studies of electoral systems of African

countries such as Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Mozambique and Tunisia. There was
excitement during the workshop with a mock parliamentary election, in which
political parties led by female politicians triumphed over their male counterparts.

END