A man casts his ballot in Baidoa on November 16, 2016. The mood in the Horn of Africa nation is ecstatic and palpable following the first direct ‘one person, one vote election' in the Puntland regional state earlier this month.
| AFPWeekly Review
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Somalia’s new dawn and why it matters to you
The first day of June found Somalia basking in the glory of three historic developments: the first direct ‘one person, one vote’ elections in the Puntland regional state; endorsement by political leaders of “universal suffrage” and restructuring of the country’s political system by abolishing the premiership; and – the icing on the cake – adoption of a ‘Verification Report’ by the East African Community Heads of State on Somalia’s application to join the economic bloc.
The mood in the Horn of Africa nation has understandably remained ecstatic and palpable, to this day. The rare convergence of the three groundbreaking developments – unfolding between May 25 and June 1 this year – point to a major development in the country’s democratic landscape punctuated by a prospective economic boost, which could allow the country to access a wider trading market in the region.
These anticipated gains are not just lighting up the faces of the country’s top political leadership, including President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre. They have in essence united Somalia – friends and foes – into one big jamboree. Even great sons and daughters of Somalia in the diaspora, like American politician Ms Ilhan Abdulahi Omar, who has been US representative for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District since 2019, are elated.
“I want to congratulate the people of Puntland and Somalia on their historic elections this week. When I was in Qardo [a district in Puntland, northern Somalia] at the end of last year, I was touched by people’s hope for the future and commitment to democracy. These elections will be the most significant step towards cultivating democracy in Somalia. And it’s incredible to see Puntland lead the charge in this way,” Omar said in a press statement to the local Somali media.
Universal suffrage
Even President Mohamud’s political nemesis and competitor in the May 2022 presidential elections, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, has expressed his support for the latest developments, including universal suffrage. In a post on his social media accounts, the immediate former President stated late last month: “We welcome the general principles of the agreement reached by the leaders of the National Consultative Council (NCC) sitting in Mogadishu. The people of Somalia have been waiting to see their leaders and representatives elected with their votes, based on the multi-party system.”
Although he is now out of power, Farmaajo’s endorsement of the restructuring of the electoral and governance systems is a big boost to the execution of the NCC agreements. The former president still enjoys some level of political influence in the country and his stand on political issues continues to resonate with many.
A Somali polling agent (right) explains the voting procedure to a voter before she casts her ballot in Baidoa during a past election.
For a country that has witnessed violent war and bloodshed for over a quarter century – leading to the breakdown of infrastructure and service delivery, and ultimately shattering the government of Siad Barre in 1991 – the excitement elicited by the recent developments on the democratic front is understandable.
This is especially so viewed against the backdrop of militia groups, like the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab, which have over the decades disrupted operations of the Mogadishu government, making it practically impossible to hold direct elections.
In a way, therefore, the successful execution of polls in Puntland and the optimism of the Federal Government of Somalia to roll out universal suffrage polls nationally is a statement of confidence that the situation has improved.
The proposed changes in the electoral system are a break from the past when community elders nominated legislators to Parliament based on clan considerations.
Even then, it remained a major security risk as members of the al-Shabaab hunted and gunned down clan elders who participated in the nomination of the MPs.
While most people in Somalia, and their leaders alike, have welcomed the notion of directly voting in their political leaders, some proposals by the NCC event – which brought together the President, PM and presidents of Somalia’s regional states, among other stakeholders – are not particularly popular with a section of the political class. Besides, proposals such as the whittling down of existing political parties to just two competitive ones contradict the Constitution of Somalia.
At least four former prime ministers and a former president, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, are among the political bigwigs opposed to some of the proposals arrived at by the NCC.
The idea of allowing only two political parties to participate in presidential elections is viewed by many as a drawback to the recent strides made towards the expansion of the democratic space: “We applaud efforts to get the country to a level of one person, one vote and a multi-party system that enforces democratic governance, but making a decision of such national interest without the full representation of all federal member states will put the unity of the people in jeopardy,” the leaders said in a statement on Monday.
The president of Puntland, Said Abdullahi Deni, who skipped last week’s NCC event in Mogadishu, holds that “making changes in the power-sharing mechanism and the governance system of the country without in-depth consultation and without consulting the public will lead to a breakdown, a lack of confidence, and the disintegration of society.”
The emerging frictions on this matter were even more evident on Saturday last week during a parliamentary debate by members of Somalia’s Lower House on the implementation of the NCC proposals. The discussion generated a lot of heat, with MPs differing on proposals to extend the tenures of the president and parliament from four to five years.
Attributing the current misunderstanding to “the typical irritating small talk by politicians jostling for space at the expense of the bigger picture of national good”, Mogadishu-based political analyst Dr Ahmed Abdishakur warns that the political class, “if not monitored closely, could throw out the baby with the bathwater”.
Dr Abdishakur opines that Somalia’s political leadership should ride on public goodwill by building on the positive proposals made by the NCC. “This is a very delicate moment for Somalia and the issues at hand are intertwined. If we are not careful we could lose it all and get back to square one – which is a life of insecurity, political and economic instability.”
EAC membership
Abdishakur’s argument appears to hold water, at least with regard to Somalia’s quest to join the regional economic bloc.
For a country to be admitted into the EAC, it must have strong democratic institutions – a factor that Somalia has just partly demonstrated in Puntland. During his first term in office, between 2012 and 2017, President Mohamud tried joining the EAC without success. The country’s applications were turned down on grounds of insecurity, sporadic conflict and weak institutions.
Somalia’s journey to full membership of the regional bloc is going well so far, but it could face impediments owing to challenges in political direction and harmony. Presently, the EAC comprises Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is the regional body’s newest member.
However, alive to the thorns that could be strewn in Somalia’s way by fellow politicians, President Mohamud has assured the country that the NCC agreement will be subjected to debate and ratification by parliament: “I confirm that a political agreement, law, or constitutional change that has not been passed by the parliament of the country is not a law and cannot work in the country. The country is governed by law and order.”
The import of the president’s remarks is that sections of the Constitution may be altered to suit certain proposals, once agreed upon.
PM Abdi Barre buttresses this factor by emphasising the need to get all players on board this “democratic and economic journey”. Chairing a cabinet meeting a week ago, he said: “The electoral process presents a significant opportunity for the Somali people to determine their destiny and as a government, we have a responsibility to give the people the opportunity to elect their leaders.”
