Somalia's Lower House to determine fate of Dhusamareb deal, says Farmajo

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Lower House chamber of Somalia's parliament will determine the fate of Dhusamareb deal as the country struggles to reach a consensus on the electoral model amid pressure from the international players, President Farmajo said during his address to Parliament on Saturday, in a move that could further plunge Somalia into a political crisis.

For several months now, the Lower House has been an epicenter of political fireworks, with the opposition accusing MPs of working closely with President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo to sabotage preparations for elections, with just over two months before the end of the current administration's tenure.

Before, the House under the stewardship of Speaker Mohamed Mursal Abdirahman has been accused of unilaterally passing the controversial electoral laws without involving other stakeholders. Already, parliament has settled on the universal suffrage model for elections, further causing protests from other stakeholders.

And in his speech on Saturday, Farmajo insisted that the Lower House will still have a major say over the outcome of Dhusamareb deal, where the federal states' leadership and President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo are set to meet over discussions on the appropriate electoral model for November polls.

The deal, Farmajo said, will have to be examined by parliament which has an exclusive mandate to interrogate electoral matters. According to him, the representatives of the people must be involved in any decision that touches the constitutionalism of the country.

“The decision you take must be accepted throughout the country,” he said, adding that: "We must return it to Parliament for approval in line with the law. This will help the representatives to assess it before we make it official for the people of Somalia, who will be affected by the outcome."

Already, Farmajo left for Dhusamareb on Saturday afternoon after it emerged that he was not, after all, going to travel. A number of international actors warned on Friday against any efforts to sabotage the deal, which they believe will help fix the political quagmire Somalia is facing currently, occasioned by the electoral model.

Abdinur Mohamed, the Villa Somalia spokesperson, said the president is committed to giving Somalis a dependable future by aiding in the process of coming with the most suitable deal based on the circumstances. The Dhusamareb II, he added, will help in consensus building within Somalia.

"Our commitment to the betterment of our country is overpowering pessimism about our future. All is set for Dhusamareb with focus on sustained political stability and consensus building for prosperous Somalia at heart," he noted.

Already, there are reports that Villa Somalia is targeting a Dhusamareb III meeting which I'll bring together other stakeholders including the National Independent Electoral Commission [NIEC] which is mandated to hold elections. The commission had ruled out elections this year.

The technical committee that was picked by both sides will give recommendations for the most appropriate electoral model, which will be discussed by those attending the Dhusamareb conference should it officially kick off today [Sunday]. By Thursday, regional leaders had, however, not submitted names of their representatives to the committee.

Abdirashid Hashi, the Director of the Heritage Institute of Policy Studies, a Somalia-based think tank, opines that President Farmajo is not keen with consensus after declaring intentions to involve the Lower House in the entire process.

"Here is the key message of the Somali President’s speech to the parliament (whose mandate ends in 2 months); He tells them: you represent citizens and regional states and you will have final say what type of election Somalia has. They face re-election, they represent themselves," he says.

The international community has been pushing for timely elections after the opposition accused the current government of plotting to hold elections without involving other stakeholders. The Dhusamareb Phase II conference is likely to shape the future of Somalia's internal politics.

GAROWE ONLINE