Somalia PM backs direct vote despite limited control

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre has yet again insisted that Somalia will not allow the conduct of clan-based elections, arguing that both national and federal state leaders should be subjected to the universal suffrage elections.

For months, Mogadishu has defended the change of electoral law, which deviates from the old clan-based model of elections to the direct polls where voters are allowed to vote for their preferred leaders in a competitive election.

Parliamentary aspirants, he said, should be directly picked by the people, a shift from the old system where elders would convene to pick candidates for various seats across the country, who would later elect the president of the country.

“We are moving away from lawmakers appointed by clan elders or regional administrations. We want representatives elected directly by the Somali people, who will in turn choose the country’s leaders,” Hamza said.

The PM said preparations for direct elections are ongoing, arguing that most members of the public are in support of the system. So far, he said, 54 political parties have been registered to participate in the elections.

Hamza also pushed back against accusations that the government had abandoned its earlier commitment to allow citizens to directly elect the president. He clarified that the matter remains before parliament, which has yet to make a final decision.

Under the new proposals, a president should be elected directly by the people, with the government also proposing a shift from the parliamentary system of governance. Under the presidential system, the president will have sweeping powers.

A number of states, including Jubaland and Puntland, have refused to back the proposals, insisting that the shift would lead to unprecedented term extensions for both the federal and state leaders, thus violating the provisional constitution of 2012.

GAROWE ONLINE