Somalia has announced that it will transition to direct voting for the election of its president and other officials starting next year. The decision marks the end of a system of indirect voting that has been in place for decades due to ongoing conflict and clan disputes in the country.
Under the previous system, lawmakers were chosen by clan heads and elders, who then voted for the president. However, widespread insecurity caused by an Islamist insurgency and weak state structures posed significant challenges. The country had initially planned to adopt universal suffrage in 2020 but faced political disagreements and continued instability, leading to the retention of the indirect voting system.
According to a statement by Somalia’s state media SONNA, a meeting chaired by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Mogadishu resulted in the decision to hold one-person, one-vote elections every five years, beginning next year. The statement also outlined the abolishment of the position of prime minister, which will be replaced by a presidential system where the president and vice president are directly elected by the people on a single ticket.
The meeting did not disclose the participants besides President Mohamud. Additionally, the statement mentioned that only two political parties will be allowed to compete in the upcoming polls. The first election under the new system will be the nationwide local council elections scheduled for June next year. Voting for regional lawmakers will follow in November 2024.
President Mohamud, who was elected by lawmakers in May of the previous year, currently holds a five-year mandate. The move towards direct voting represents a significant step in Somalia’s democratic process and aims to increase popular participation and representation in the country’s governance.
