Somalia's New National ID Cards Raise Concerns Over Election Manipulation

MOGADISHU, Somalia — The printing of Somalia's newly introduced national ID cards has sparked concerns among citizens that the cards could be used to manipulate the disputed upcoming Villa Somalia-engineered "one person, one vote" elections, which are already a point of contention.

The people of Somalia are expressing significant privacy worries, particularly since the data from these IDs is stored on servers in Pakistan. This initiative, funded by the World Bank, aims to streamline voter verification through the electoral commission, which will rely on these IDs during the electoral process.

The head of the controversial electoral commission, Cabdikariim Ahmed Hassan, previously served as an active member in the current president's election campaign, fueling skepticism about the impartiality of the election process.

Critics fear that the combination of external data storage and the political affiliations of election officials could compromise the integrity of the elections, vital for the nation's democratic progress.

Many people believe that Somalia will not be able to hold a democratic election next year due to several challenges. These include the government’s limited remaining time in office, with only 15 months left in its term, parts of the country still under Al-Shabaab control, and the Puntland and Jubaland severing ties with the central government.

The two Federal States and opposition leaders accuse the leaders at Villa Somalia of violating the Constitution by making changes without consensus, and the the formation of a one-sided election commission.

GAROWE ONLINE