“This is a moment of real significance for Somalia. It a few days’ time, Somalia’s new Parliament will meet to elect a new President and so end the Transition. This Parliament, formed only a few weeks ago, has rightly assumed responsibility for concluding the Transition, and for taking Somalia forward into a new era. The new Speaker has committed the Parliament to discharging its responsibility with integrity, transparency and credibility. He is proving to be true to his word and deserves our fullest support.

Together with the UN, AU, IGAD and Somalia’s other international partners, the UK is continuing to support this process. I strongly welcome the progress being made. This is an unprecedented opportunity: a Somali process — led, overseen and ultimately decided upon by Somalis.

I therefore encourage all Somalia’s MPs to use the secret ballot, free from influence and intimidation, and do one simple thing — vote with their conscience for the person they believe will act in the best interests of their country. To the individual that wins, my hope is that they will respond inclusively; to those that are unsuccessful, I urge them to respect the decision of Somalia’s Parliament, without violence or dispute.

The Somali people have demonstrated their clear expectation this election should be credible and fair. Somalia’s MPs now have an unrivalled opportunity to fulfill that wish: to respect Somalia’s provisional constitution, to listen to the people; to represent their views: Somalia decides.”