IS DIRECT ELECTION POSSIBLE IN SOMALIA ΙΝ 2016? (original) (raw)

Somalia 2020/21 Elections: Context, Challenges, and Prospects for Timely Elections

Hiiraan Online, 2020

The political trajectory has not been a walk in the park for Somalia- a nation recovering from a brutal and devastating civil war and facing the threat of the most lethal terrorist group in Africa. Since the reconciliation conference of Arte in 2000, it’d been two decades marred with political challenges for Somalia. On top of the numerous security challenges, the country had to endure political disagreements and gridlocks which was sometimes sharp and detrimental to the nascent democracy of the country.

Somalia's complicated election process ends

africanlegalstudies.blog, 2022

Somalia's complicated election process is expected to end soon. But some constitutional problems arise. Can a president be elected without first electing a full parliament? In addition to these constitutional issues, there are many political tensions, a high level of mistrust among the actors and a latent danger that the military could take political sides.

The 'Electoral Constituency Caucuses': Analysis of the new electoral model agreed in Dhusamareb

Election series, 2020

The president of Somalia, leaders of 3 federal member states (Galmudug, South West, and Hirshabelle), and the governor of Benadir region agreed and signed a new election model dubbed the 'Electoral Constituency Caucuses'. The agreement was reached after a series of talks held in Dhusamareb, the capital city of Galmudug. At the conclusion of the previous Dhusamareb (2) conference, a joint technical committee from the federal government and federal member states was proposed with the mandate to explore electoral models and present options to the leaders of the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and Federal Member States (FMS) in a third Dhusamareb meeting, which was slated for 15th August. After meetings in Mogadishu and Dhusamareb, the technical committee proposed 3 models, one of which the leaders had to settle on. Notwithstanding the fact that two federal member states (Puntland and Jubaland) boycotted the most recent meeting, the remaining leaders resolved to proceed with the discussions and unanimously settled for a hybrid model that increases the electorate and voting constituencies, among other new provisions. The new hybrid model awaits the endorsement and/or amendment of the House of the People and, of course, the other federal member states who didn't attend the Dhusamareb 3 meeting. Features of the new electoral model The electoral model is an enhanced version of the 2016 indirect election. It seeks to increase the size of the electorate by almost 6 times. The number of electoral constituencies is also increased, which means the voting activities are devolved to a district level. It also introduces and incorporates a party system. First, the number of electoral delegates for each seat of the House of the People of the Somali Federal Parliament would be 301. The clan elders and members of the civil society would pick the electoral delegates. This is almost a 6 times increase of the 2016 indirect election delegates where 51 electoral colleges voted for each seat of the lower house. However, there are concerns about the number as well as the logistics and the assembly of hundreds of electoral colleges together. Second, every federal member state would designate at least 4 electoral constituencies (districts) where the elections will be held. In 2016, elections were only held at the capital cities of FMS and Mogadishu. This model proposes more electoral constituencies to be identified and elections devolved to sub-region level. It is also in line with Somali Public Agenda's recent proposal to set a minimum of three electoral districts in each federal member state. Third, delegates for every 3 to 5 seats at the same electoral constituency to be merged and would vote for all the candidates who are vying for those seats, which means delegates will have more than one vote. This enhances the legitimacy of the MPs who through this approach would have a large and quite diverse representation base. It could also minimize the chances of corruption and election malpractices. Fourth, the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) will manage the election. In conjunction with federal member states, the NIEC will establish an inclusive vetting committee..

Somalia and Elections-the Case of a Fractured Parliamentary Democracy

Somalia and Elections: The Case of a Fractured Parliamentary Democracy, 2022

The process of holding elections is a critical element of democratic governance, enabling citizens to participate and play a significant role in shaping their country's future. However, in the case of Somalia, the journey towards a stable and inclusive electoral system has been fraught with multifaceted challenges ranging from security to weak governmental institutions. Referring back to the historical context, Somalis were deprived of the right to cast their votes after Gen. Mohamed Siad Barre overthrew the democratic institutions in 1969. This opinion piece examines the complexities and consequences of Somalia's fractured parliamentary democracy, focusing on the impediments and hurdles encountered during the electoral process as well as the factors hindering the successful implementation of free and fair elections within the country where people elect their representatives.

Political Dispensations in Somalia: A Dangerous Path

Al-Jazeera Center for Studies, 2016

Due to pressure from the international community, the government, after it failed to stabilize and lead the country to democratic elections, presented an alternative selection process. Under such a process, each of 135 traditional leaders would nominate 51 clan members that would choose each parliamentarian of the first chamber of 275 seats. Moreover, each of the six clan-based state presidents would designate each of the 54-member seats of the second chamber to a sub-clan and then nominate two to four individuals so the parliaments of the regions would pick one for each. The combined members of the two chambers (329 altogether) would choose a president in November 2016. This report explains and analyses the political dispensation in Somalia. It argues that Somalia’s political dispensations are marred by gerrymandering, manipulations and corruption. Finally, the report calls for the international community to safeguard the process and pressure Somalia’s incumbent government to respect it.