Thursday August 8, 2024
A man casts his ballot on Nov. 16, 2016, in Baidoa. Somalia is in the process of selecting a new parliament, upper house and president in a limited franchise election that involves 14,000 delegates from all regional states. Photographer: SIMON MAINA/AFP/Getty Images
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia's cabinet has endorsed a landmark bill to transition the nation from a clan-based indirect voting system to direct elections, aiming for universal suffrage by 2026.
"The national elections law will direct the country to one-person-one-vote elections," Somali government spokesman Farhan Jimale announced during a media briefing. The shift aims to replace a complex electoral system that has evolved over decades since the fall of dictator Siad Barre in 1991. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud pledged to end the indirect voting system following his election and emphasized that this legislation fulfills a promise to give every Somali citizen the constitutional right to vote for a leader of their choice. Somalia last held direct elections in 1967. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was elected in May 2022 by just 327 lawmakers.
Political analyst Mohamud Abdikarim, based in Mogadishu, acknowledged the hurdles ahead, noting that "achieving a direct election and political stability, and developing a multiparty system, will take time." The bills, unanimously approved by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre's cabinet, must now pass through parliament and be signed into law by President Mohamud.
While the move has been celebrated as a step toward democratization, it has not been without controversy. Puntland, a semi-autonomous region, has expressed reservations, citing insufficient consultation with all federal states. In March, Puntland announced it would no longer recognize federal institutions after parliament backed the one-person, one-vote plan.
Security remains a significant concern as the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, which controls large areas of the country, has consistently disrupted past elections with attacks. The federal government, supported by local clan militias, the African Union peacekeeping force, and US air strikes, continues to battle the insurgents.
Somalia's politics have long been dominated by clan affiliations, with key roles such as speaker, prime minister, and president divided among the main groups. The system has often resulted in political wrangling and conflict, which Al-Shabaab exploited. However, the move towards direct elections represents a major shift long awaited by Somali citizens who have been promised the right to vote through successive governments.
Universal suffrage is already practiced in Somaliland, a breakaway region that declared independence in 1991 but lacks international recognition. In May 2023, Puntland held local polls by direct ballot, although it later retracted plans to extend this system.
The African Union (AU) recently endorsed a new mission, the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), with troop contributions from Egypt and Djibouti, to support the Somali army and police as they assume security responsibilities.