MOGADISHU, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Somalia's electoral body said Wednesday it has inaugurated the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties to oversee the process of registration of political parties in the country.
The office which was set up by the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) will activate the Political Parties Act passed in June 2016, and embark on the process of overseeing the registration of political parties.
NIEC chairperson Halima Ibrahim has also announced the appointment of Mohamed Omar Mohamud as the Registrar of Political Parties in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
"The Somali public wherever they are, should know that they have an office open to them today, if they want to register a political party," said Ibrahim.
The establishment of the Office marks a departure from the election of representatives through the clan system, to a more inclusive system of political parties. The system guarantees participation of every individual who subscribes to a political party.
The process requires political parties to submit required documentation for scrutiny by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, before they are registered. The NIEC will work with the Registrar's Office to manage the process.
"It is a huge responsibility bestowed on me by the NIEC and I thank them for the nomination and appointment. This is a huge responsibility and the only way we can fulfill that responsibility is working together," said Mohamud, the Registrar of Political Parties.
The UN, through its Integrated Electoral Support Group, continues to support Somalia in preparing for universal "one person, one vote" elections by 2020.
The creation of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties by the NIEC, the national institution constitutionally mandated to conduct elections, is a key step forward for future universal elections in Somalia, a process supported by the UN.
