06 Aug 2004 12:04:04 GMT
By C. Bryson Hull
NAIROBI, Aug 6 (Reuters) - International mediators postponed the inauguration of Somalia's parliament for two weeks to allow clan representatives more time to finish their delegate lists for the new 275-member parliament.
The creation of the parliament, in which the clans will share power, will mark the return of a national government for the first time since a weak Arab-backed transitional administration's mandate expired in 2003.
A communique issued late on Thursday by international mediators overseeing the talks in Nairobi urged the clans to submit their delegates by Saturday.
Initially, the delegates were to have been chosen by July 31 and sworn in the following day. But mediators moved the inauguration to Aug. 4 and then to Aug. 19 as the selection process hit snags.
One diplomat working for the mediators said 110 delegates have already been submitted, leaving 165 outstanding. More names were expected on Friday.
"Most of the clans are ready to name their delegates," the diplomat said. "You don't expect this to be 100 percent smooth.
"Naturally there are some trouble areas but we think they will be worked out," the diplomat said.
The communique urged the Dir, Darod and Fifth clans "to deal with their outstanding issues regarding the selection process."
The parliament will elect a president to lead a new transitional government toward a goal of elections in five years. Some observers expect a new administration to be established in Mogadishu by September.
The African Union has offered a force of military observers to ensure security for the government, the communique said. The size of the force was not clear, and an African Union representative to the talks could not immediately be reached for comment.
ENDING ANARCHY?
Somalia plunged into lawlessness after warlords toppled military dictator Mohammed Siad Barre in 1991, and U.S. officials and others believe the nation of 7 million is a haven for Islamic militants.
Since U.S. forces floundered there on a peace-keeping mission a decade ago, it has been seen as a quagmire where warlords dominated in the absence of an effective government.
The peace talks have dragged on in neighbouring Kenya for the past 20 months, hampered by rivalries between neighbouring states keen to stamp their own brand on the new Somali government in addition to traditional Somali clan rivalries.
Delegates from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Djibouti and Saudi Arabia at times have appeared to push for their hand-picked choices for Somalia's leadership.
Warlords' support for the talks has given envoys hope the strongmen can be co-opted into the new government.
Most likely they would help build a national security force and demobilise their militias, probably in return for senior government posts.