MOGADISHU— For the third time, the Somali National Constituent Assembly (NCA) has been postponed Monday, according to Somali Minister of Constitution and Reconciliation Abdirahman Hosh Jibril announcement.

MOGADISHU— For the third time, the Somali National Constituent Assembly (NCA) has been postponed Monday, according to Somali Minister of Constitution and Reconciliation Abdirahman Hosh Jibril announcement.

An 825-member National Constituent Assembly representing a broad range of Somali political factions was scheduled to meet Monday inMogadishu, to begin its work of discussing and ratifying the new Somali draft constitution.

“Today it was the schedule for the Somali National Constituent Assembly to convene in Mogadishu, but unfortunately, it has been postponed for technical reasons, because of some selected representatives or delegates for NCA from the remote regions of Somalia, have not yet arrived at the venue of the meeting in Mogadishu,” said Hassan Jim’ale, Somalia’s state minister for Constitution and Reconciliation.

He said the constitutional conference has been re-scheduled to kick off formally on Tuesday (July 24, 2012). The 825-member NCA representing all segments of Somali society is the only body that will vote on the proposed draft constitution until a popular referendum can be conducted.

The tribal elders are also tasked with selecting members (MPs) of the new parliament, which will then select the president on August 20th, when the term of the UN-backed Transitional Federal Government led by Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed comes to an end.

This is the third time the NCA conference has been postponed, following a postponement from July 17th, 21st and 24 fourth amid calls from Somali government officials to speed up the selection of delegates to approve the new draft constitution.