Somalia will elect leaders directly, says President Hassan Sheikh

MOGADISHU, Somalia - President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says the country will engage in direct votes in the next election, arguing that this gives citizens a chance to choose their leaders, without having any obstacles blocking them from expressing their opinion.

In a statement, Hassan Sheikh said the country should be ready for the milestone, having practised an indirect electoral system, which gives the clan an advantage over the people, for the last three decades.

Already, the country has passed legislation which gives people direct power to elect their representatives. This is the first time the country is holding a universal suffrage election should the process go as planned.

“As long as there is no cooperation and obstacles are put in place, let no one blame others later by saying elections could not be held—Somalia will not be governed by someone the people didn’t elect.”

President Hassan, who was among those opposing former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, rejected the idea of holding a one-person-one-vote election, which was claimed to be aimed at extending the term.

Since Somalia’s collapse, elections have been conducted through a clan-based system where representatives in the House of the People are selected by clans, while the Upper House is chosen by FMS, with the President elected for a four-year term.

Puntland, the northern state of Somalia, has vehemently opposed the idea of holding direct polls, insisting that it was not consulted when the idea popped up. The region was one of the first federal states to test the model in recent times.

All local council elections were subjected to a universal suffrage model. But Puntland maintains the federal government should involve all stakeholders before the final decision on the model is agreed upon.

GAROWE ONLINE