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Somalia is making commendable progress in its constitutional process as the country marks the 52nd anniversary of its independence, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Somalia Augustine Mahiga said in a statement Sunday (July 1st).

"This is a moment of optimism for all the people of Somalia," he said, calling on Somalis to uphold transparency, accountability and broad participation as the process moves forward. "The adoption of a provisional constitution will be crucial to re-establishing truly representative government for Somalia, which has been without a functioning central government for more than 20 years," he said.

The National Constituent Assembly will convene July 12th-20th to review and adopt the draft constitution, which has already been approved by government leaders. Traditional elders are currently working to appoint delegates to the assembly.

Mahiga encouraged Somalis to work for the national interest and urged the international community to support the Somali political process as the transitional process ends. "[The National Constituent Assembly's] success will be imperative to maintain momentum and to build a stronger, more effective parliament that gains the confidence of the Somali people for the forthcoming four years," he said.