U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed the inauguration of the transitional federal parliament for Somalia at the Somalia National Reconciliation conference (SNRC) that took place in Kenya this past weekend. "The Secretary-General would like to stress that this is the beginning of long-awaited reconciliation," spokesman Stephan Dujarric said yesterday. Dujarric said Annan "expresses the hope that the new parliament will meet its first challenge with the necessary resolve that is required for the elections of a president for Somalia." Kenya led the talks along with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which is comprised of a number of African countries to help mediate on nominations for a Somali parliament. The body is in charge of now electing a president who will set up a new administration in the capital, Mogadishu. According to reports, there were a number of problems leading to the swearing-in of the parliamentarians, including which tribal clans would get which seats. Each of Somalia's four major clans was given 61 seats, with the remainder going to the smaller clans.
