STORY: Public consultations on new Somali constitution

end in South West State

TRT: 3:51
SOURCE: UNSOM STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AND
PUBLIC AFFAIRS GROUP
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CREDIT REQUIRED: UNSOM STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS
LANGUAGE: SOMALI NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 17-19/FEBRUARY/2019, BAIDOA, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, participants listening during the public outreach event on the
constitutional review process in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
2. Med shot, participants listening during the public outreach event on the
constitutional review process in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
3. Med shot, officials from the federal Ministry of Justice, the federal Ministry of
Constitutional Affairs (MoCA), the South West State Regional Administration,
attend the opening of the public outreach event on the constitutional review
process in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
4. Med shot, Zahra Ali Hassan, MoCA Senior Advisor, flanked by another official,
listening during the public outreach event on the constitutional review
process in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
5. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) ABDIKANI ALI ADAN, MoCA PUBLIC OUTREACH
DIRECTOR
“People have expressed their views on what they would want to be
considered during the review. Amongst the issues they are interested in is the
drafting of the Constitution in the regional Maay dialect, and using dialogue to
solve outstanding political issues before finalisation of the Constitution.”

6. Med shot, participants listening during the public outreach event on the
constitutional review process in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
7. Wide shot, participants listening during the public outreach event on the
constitutional review process in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
8. Close up shot, participant listening during the public outreach event on the
constitutional review process in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
9. Med shot, Zahra Ali Hassan, MoCA Senior Advisor, and Jeylani Abdullahi Haji,
Director General of the South West State Ministry of Constitutional Affairs,
listening during the public outreach event on the constitutional review
process in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
10. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) MS. SALIMA SHEIKH SHUEB, WOMEN’S GROUPS
REPRESENTATIVE
“The Constitution needs to be based on women’s interests. Although there is
a narrative that women should have a thirty percent quota, that is not
enough. We have to get fifty percent. Our representation should not be
confined to government and parliament but we have to be represented
everywhere, including the ministries and other government institutions.”

11. Wide shot, participants listening during the public outreach campaign on the
constitutional review process in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
12. Close up shot, participant listening during the public outreach campaign on
the constitutional review process in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
13. Med shot, official listening during the public outreach campaign on the
constitutional review process in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
14. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) MUKHTAR ALI ISAK, A REPRESENTATIVE OF PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES IN THE SOUTH WEST STATE
“We want people with disabilities to have the opportunity to participate in
politics, with representation in political parties, local council, parliament,
independent committees, and other institutions. This is our request from the
federal government and the state we live in.”

15. Wide shot, participants in a group discussion during the public outreach
event held in in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
16. Med shot, participants in a group discussion during the public outreach event
held in in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
17. Close shot, participants in a group discussion during the public outreach
event held in in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
18. Med shot, group representative making his presentation after the group
discussion
19. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) NURTA MOHAMED, RESIDENT OF THE QASAB 2
CAMP FOR INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE (IDP)
“I would like to see changes that address our interests.”

20. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) IBRAHIM SHEIKH SALAD ISAK, AN ELDER

“We encourage the public to read [ the constitution] carefully, to see what
concerns them and any objections they might have. Our participation will
 help to advance this awareness campaign about the constitution, which will
determine the destiny of the people of Somalia and residents of this region.”

21. Wide shot, participants in a group discussion during the public outreach
event held in in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia

22. Med shot, participants in a group discussion during the public outreach event
held in in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
23. Wide shot, participants in a group discussion during the public outreach
event held in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
24. Med shot, participants in a group discussion during the public outreach event
held in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia
25. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) HASSAN MOALIM AHMED BIKOLE, BAIDOA DISTRICT
COMMISSIONER
“Your views are paramount. If you do not participate and point out what is
wrong and what is right, you won’t be playing your role. You are supposed to
contemplate on the constitution, and it’s your chance to participate in this
national campaign and correct any mistakes so that you don’t feel excluded.”

26. SOUNDBITE: (SOMALI) JEYLANI ABDULLAHI, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE

SOUTH WEST STATE MINISTRY OF CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS
“Everyone here is representing hundreds of people from South West State
that could not attend. We request you to look at the interests of the
residents of South West and give your honest and unbiased views.”

27. Wide shot, participants posing for a group photo at the close of public
outreach event held in in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia

Public consultations on new Somali constitution end in South West

State

Baidoa, 19 February 2020 – “I would like to see changes that address our
interests,” Nurta Mohamed, a resident of the Qasab 2 camp for internally
displaced persons (IDPs), said today at a gathering in the city of Baidoa, in
Somalia's South West State.

Ms. Mohamed was sharing her views on a new, permanent Constitution for
her country.

She was one of more than 100 people attending a three-day public
consultation meeting held as part of Somalia's constitutional review process,
which was launched in 2018 and aims to replace the current Provisional
Constitution, adopted in 2012, ahead of the 'one person, one vote' elections
scheduled for 2020.

Organised by the federal Ministry of Constitutional Affairs (MoCA), with the

support of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), the
gathering closed today. It was attended by a range of community
representatives, including clan elders, youth, women, persons with disabilities,
and religious leaders.

“The people have expressed their views on what they would want to see
considered during the review,” said MoCA's Public Outreach Director,
Abdikani Ali Adan.

“Amongst the issues the people of South West State are interested in is
having the Constitution in the regional Maay dialect and using dialogue to
solve outstanding political issues before finalisation of the Constitution,” he
added.

The participants exchanged views on issues pertinent to power- and

resource-sharing, federalism, elections, the justice system and national
security.

Inclusion of views

Speaking during the meeting, the Director-General of the South West State's
Ministry of Constitutional Affairs, Jeylaani Abdullahi Haji, said the
consultations were important for the inclusion of citizens’ views and concerns.

“Everyone here is representing hundreds of other people from South West

State, who could not attend. We hope that the people present are going to
look at the interests of the residents of the South West State and give their
honest and unbiased views,” said Mr. Jeylaani.

Representing women’s groups, Salima Sheikh Shueb asked for increased

female representation in elected office and public service.

“The Constitution needs to be based on women’s interests. Although there is

a narrative that women should have a thirty per cent quota, that is not enough.
We have to get fifty per cent. Our representation should not be confined to
government and parliament but we have to be represented everywhere,
including the ministries and other government institutions,” stressed Ms.
Shueb.

Representing people with disabilities, Mukhtar Ali Isak said the Constitution
needed to ensure their rights and participation in national development.

“We want people with disabilities to have the opportunity to participate in

politics, with representation in political parties, local councils, parliament,
independent committees, and other institutions. This is our request to the
federal government and the federal state that we live in,” said Mr. Isak.
The Baidoa District Commissioner, Hassan Moalim Ahmed Bikole,
encouraged the participants to utilise the opportunity to participate in an
inclusive and transparent dialogue toward finalizing the Constitution.

“Your views are paramount. If you do not participate and point out what is
wrong and what is right, you won’t be playing your role as citizens," said Mr.
Bikole. "This is your chance to participate in this national campaign and
correct any mistakes you see so that you don’t feel excluded."

The meeting was the second of an ongoing nationwide outreach campaign,

which will cover all of Somalia's Federal Member States with the aim of
enabling citizens to contribute to the Constitution-making process.