Committee suggests four models of elections as Puntland and Jubaland boycott Dhusamareb talks

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A technical committee that was put in place by the federal government of Somalia and member states have proposed four models of elections which are subject for approval from stakeholders, multiple sources confirmed, just a few days after President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo visited Dhusamareb for talks.

Somali leaders are under pressure to settle on the appropriate electoral model ahead of December elections, but the conflict of interests from among stakeholders has complicated the ongoing preparations, with just a few months before the end of the term for the current administration.

The four models will be discussed before a final resolution is made, officials said. The final model if reached, will solve the political conflict which is building up in the Horn of Africa nation, which has been fighting for stability in three decades, following the ouster of militants ruler Siad Barre.

According to confidential sources, the team first recommended indirect elections but which would see an increase of delegates from the current 101 to 1000. The delegates will be selected jointly by the elders and civil society and will be elected jointly before February 2021.

In the second model, the team proposed both direct and indirect elections which will be held in some constituencies. In the model, the team projects registration of about one million people who will be eligible to vote by July 2021. Should the model go through, the current administration will get an automatic extension.

Further, the team suggested a biometric registration of people which will target 3 million voters and take almost 13 months from now. This is the model that was proposed by the National Independent Electoral Commission [NIEC] in a report which was tabled at parliament in July.

Sources said that the team also suggested personal and voter registration for elections in an exercise that will consider a maximum of four million voters. Should the model get a node, elections will be held in the next 9-12 months, reports indicate.

The electoral model has been one of the contentious issues in Somalia, a move that forced international players to pile pressure on local politicians to reach a consensus. For the second time, President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo traveled to Dhusamareb for talks with regional leaders.

However, Puntland and Jubaland boycotted the conference, arguing that the federal government was hell-bent to impose a one-person-one-vote model, a move which would lead to automatic term extension for the current regime. Only Lea from Galmadug, HirShabelle, and Southwest attended.

Senator IIyas Ali Hassan, a leading to opposition figure, asked both the federal government and member states to implement the Dhusamareb agreement which is expected to be unveiled soon. He spoke on behalf of the Forum for National Parties [FNP]

"Bearing in mind the crucial need to hold inclusive, timely elections to spur further peace and political stability. The Forum for National Parties MadashaXQ calls on the FGS and FMS’s to follow through on its promises in accordance with the terms of the Dhumareed II agreement," he said.

The country is facing a possible political crisis which could be an impedance to ongoing social development and rebuilding of Somalia. President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is expected to seek re-election, and he's been under immense criticism from several opposition figures.

GAROWE ONLINE