Apart from the way they were elected, what are the challenges ahead for Somali 11th Parliamentarians?

On the 21st of September 2020, the leadership of the federal government of Somalia and federal member states had agreed and signed on terms of indirect election procedure and process 2020-2021. The current government's mandate has expired on 8th Feb 2020, and the ruling leadership has proposed extending the term of the administration and holding one man and one vote elections in the safest areas of the country except for Somaliland and other areas under Al-Shabab rule.

That proposal had been voted by the majority of the parliament, to one-year extension and hold direct elections (One Man One Vote) but soon after, presidential candidates reacted and organized armed groups through violent protests and used fire. and this caused the military and police sides to confront each other with armed groups pro candidates who got angry about the extension mandate of the year.   After days of chaos and violence, the civil society organizations and some of the political leaders met with the PM and president and agreed to not let the country and people face challenging situations and cannot bear with war and destruction that could damage the country. 

Those days, it had seen on social media people residence in the area near the Statehouse fleeing and displacing from their homes to other parts of the city, because of fear of fire clashes among the government and oppositional bro armed groups. National Security Council came to a meeting and discuss the direction of the elections and which modal of the electoral process should be conducted, the National Security council consist of The Federal President, Prime Minister, leaders FMS and Governor of the Benadir Regional Administration. The meeting was held in Dusamareb three times and Mogadishu and finally agreed to conduct indirect electoral modal in 2 constituencies of each state, 101 delegates of each clan electing the MPs, and FGS nominate indirect federal electoral commission and FMS nominate indirect state electoral commission. 

From there, the commission had started the election process of the MPs in their constituencies, but most elections were managed in their hand who to be an MP, which means FMS leaders closely working with Indirect electoral states commission they deliberately involve in the selection of delegates whereby the delegates elect an MP with respect of FMS recommendation by favoring according to their friendship and value of the money of the candidates have.

 

In 2012, Somalia had its first un transitional government after 3 consecutive transitional governments since the military regime government collapsed in 1991, but the official government had faced tremendous job starting of reform political, review economic and setting up social service sectors, and review and reform must be made for the sake of the modern world after being a gap of 21 years of no government system in the country. However, the most important aspects; to set up a Constitutional framework; review and rewrite as the country adopt a new system of federalism, forming state members of the federal government, and Economic sector reform including Taxation policy, Public and private financial regulation, reform of economic infrastructure and furthermore security sector reform that can reflect challenging terror threats and domestic violence. What is also more important is to set up a foreign policy that is based on mutual interest and friendship in the region and world as a whole.

For now, 9 years later, the second official government term has expired, a new council of members of the parliamentary have elected from in their constituencies, although the process hasn’t been endorsed by the public because of the bias and improper untransparent process of the election. However, Today, the third official government has challenges ahead; The country hasn’t yet had an official Constitution that clarifies the power of mandated institutions and avoids contradictions of power, there is no constitutional court that could interpret and protect the constitutional law. Economic wise, less than 40% of taxes are collected from and contributed to the internal revenue, National budget is supported 60 or 70% by foreign aid based on the handouts of international partners,

 The security challenge is still outstanding; threats of terrors and domestic violence are potential, the investment of technical and financial in the security sector is not enough and not even that much focused. The social sector does not reflect the people’s demand for education, health care and social care, its estimated 24% of school-age children go to school, while almost 3million children aren’t in the school centers, the quality assurance of education and the capacity qualify education provision is yet questioned.

Most importantly, public institutions and their personnel do not have enough capacity of delivering social services, they are not equipped with the intended skills for delivering services based on an effective and efficient in the workplace and that can match person and workplace and can reflect transparent, accountability with knowledge and experience.  

The Success of Somalia in these challenges in the next political term starts to elect a suitable and challenging person as a president that can interact and reflect political, socioeconomic and security challenges through experience and knowledge. Somali newly elected parliaments have to decide to play their role of the next 4 years of Success in Somalia by electing a suitable president.