Secretary-General welcomes election of transitional Somali President

The following is a statement attributable to the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General welcomes the election yesterday of Mr. Abdullahi Yusuf as the transitional president of Somalia by the Transitional Federal Parliament.  He considers this as another important step toward the re-establishment of peace and stability in Somalia, and he looks forward to the formation, in the near future, of a Transitional Federal Government capable of beginning reconciliation and reconstruction in a spirit of consensus and dialogue.

The Secretary-General commends the efforts of President Mwai Kibaki, his Government, other Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) leaders, the countries in the IGAD Partners Forum and organizations that have assisted the Somali peace process for almost two years.

The Secretary-General reiterates the readiness of the United Nations to do its utmost to support the return of normalcy and good governance in Somalia.  He urges all Somalis to be part of the effort to restore peace and security in their country. 

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