Somalia: End of an era: How opposition MPs plotted Farmajo's downfall in parliament

MOGADISHU, Somalia - On Thursday morning, newly elected Somali MPs cast their votes for the Speaker of the house, in what was preceded by intimidations, delays, and eventually smiles, and perhaps ending President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo's five-year dominance.

It all started with limited access to the Afisiyoni tent, suspension of police chief Major General Abdi Hassan Mohamed Hijar, a conservative close to Farmaajo who was accused of compromising the security of the state, and disruption of swearing-in of a number of late entrants to parliament.

But the defiant Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble insisted that elections of the Lower House leadership team would go on uninterrupted as African Union Transition Mission [ATMIS] assumed security responsibilities as directed by the PM.

Although President Farmaajo, whose term after all ended in 2021, insisted that ATMIS could only give "supplementary" backup, Roble, who jetted in from Geneva on Wednesday, proceeded to the main venue to personally supervise the exercise, even as the international community called for "compromise and quick completion" of the elections.

And after hours of push and pull, only 252 Lower House members were allowed to cast their vote for the speaker, with 17 new entrants from Gedo and HirShabelle denied the opportunity against the wishes of the opposition. The MPs took the oath a few days ago.

With the atmosphere changing at the renowned tent, voices of imminent change rented the air as last-minute sacrifices saved the opposition, which was keen to bag the seat. In the first round of voting, Hassan Abdinur, the Villa Somalia-backed candidate, seemed to be the preferred choice.

Abdinur garnered 98 votes, to Sheikh Aden Madobe's 74, triggering a second round, which involved four candidates. It's in the second round that the opposition quickly ganged up, making what analysts term "milestone" sacrifices in Somalia.

Aden Saransoor who had scored 23 votes and Abdullahi Black who garnered 33 votes, threw in the towel, backing Sheikh Madobe, the former speaker who had served from 2007-to 2010. The three candidates were pro-opposition, and their union effectively ended Farmaajo's dominance.

In the final results, Madobe scored 163 votes while Abdinur dropped from 98 to 89, as more legislators came together to be part of the much-needed change. This now means both the Lower House and Upper House are under the control of the opposition, after the election of Abdi Hashi as Senate speaker.

Last kicks of a dying horse

Before the landmark elections, pro-Villa Somalia MPs had preferred Mohamed Mursal, the outgoing speaker who is accused of plotting to extend Farmaajo's term in April 2021, triggering divisions within the military, which has struggled to stabilize for years.

Mursal was viewed as the face of "impunity and authoritarianism" in modern Somalia, having single-handedly suffocated the opposition under Farmaajo's reign, often opening battles with the senate, which coordinates relationships with the Federal Member States.

Further, there was push and pull over the fate of Fahad Yasin, the former National Intelligence Security Agency [NISA] bureaucrat, who had been elected as MP for HOP086. But this honeymoon was quickly terminated by the Federal Elections Implementation Committee [FEIT] and subsequently buried by the Supreme Court.

Yasin, now a senior advisor to Farmaajo, has often been dragged to rigging schemes, through NISA agents and even soldiers who are yet to leave Eritrea. He was seen as the "merchant of chaos" in Somalia, a claim he persistently denied despite tangible evidence linking him to some clandestine activities.

But his predecessor Yasin Farey somehow managed to get himself to parliament having taken the oath of allegiance on Wednesday. It's not clear whether Farey resigned from his NISA role as stipulated by various electoral laws.

NISA and elite Gorgor troops who are trained in Turkey have often been accused of stifling democracy in the Horn of Africa nation by muzzling the rights of the opposition and even journalists. The winds of change have been renting the air after all.

Concessions and a new dawn

After the titanic battle in the Lower House, the focus now shifts to the presidential election, whose date is yet to be scheduled. All the 54 senators and 275 Lower House members will participate in the exercise, which had previously been marred with cases of bribery, rigging, and blackmail.

Unfortunately, the elections of the leadership of the bicameral legislature, indicate that Farmaajo will struggle to raise the requisite numbers for his re-election. In other words, he neither controls the Upper House nor the Lower House.

Before congratulating Madobe, Farmaajo's press secretary Abdirashid Hashi had posted a pre-written statement in which Villa Somalia congratulated Abdinur. The statement was quickly withdrawn as Farmaajo seemingly conceded and hailed the winner.

"I wish to congratulate the newly elected Speaker of 11th Parliament Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur 'Madobe' on his successful elections," he said. "I further Wish Speaker Madobe a Prosperous tenure as he starts serving the Republic in the new role trusted upon by the members of the Lower House."

Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud led the opposition in acknowledging Madobe's victory, arguing that there was a need for radical changes in the legislative arms for the sake of prosperity and stability in the federal republic of Somalia.

"I wish to extend my warm congratulations to Adam Madobe who was elected to lead the 11th Lower House Parliament of Somalia. Indeed Madobe's vast aptitude in the legislative branch is much needed in Somalia's current predicament," he noted.

"This has now successfully concluded with the election of the speaker. I congratulate the newly elected speaker and wish him well in fulfilling his duties," added Abdirizak Mohamed, the MP who chaired the committee that organized the most difficult Lower House leadership elections.

Farmajo will now face former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud along with former PM Hassan Ali Khaire and Wadajir party leader Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame. Already, the opposition seems to employ the tactic in Lower House leadership polls, where it is likely to field a single candidate.

Even before the presidential election, the opposition has been holding joint press conferences besides standing together in most challenging times. Should they chant unity onwards as they go to the most vital election, then it effectively means the reign of Farmajo will surely crumble.

Abdirashid Hashi, a seasoned Somalia political analyst, says MPs voted for "change and democratic governance". Further, he notes, they defeated "soundly" Farmaajo candidate, adding that "Five years of nightmarish misrule is ending".

GAROWE ONLINE