The opposition and regional administrations are suspicious of the new Constitution approved in Somalia.
The new Constitution of Somalia was born questioned and has not closed some of the main national debates, such as the differences between the federal government and the regional administrations – especially the autonomous region of Puntland or Jubalaland – or the questioned electoral system. The opposition, which was absent from the final vote, has criticized its exclusion in the process of amendments to the Magna Carta, which replaces the one approved provisionally in 2012 and on which the reconstruction and stabilization of the country should revolve after more than two decades of civil war. The Somali president, Hasan Sheikh Mohamud, ratified the new text on March 8, with the votes of 186 deputies of the Lower House and 37 senators.
The change in the electoral model has an impact on the institutional structure and the distribution of power in the country. With the new Constitution, we move from an indirect system based on clans to universal suffrage. The deputies will be elected by the citizens, the Parliament will be responsible for appointing the new president and this, in turn, will have the power to elect the prime minister. This circumstance has not been liked outside of Mogadishu, since this model, in their opinion, can unbalance the federal model in force in Somalia. Furthermore, with the justification of avoiding political fragmentation, the Magna Carta limits national parties to three.
In an article published in the online Hiiraan, Abdikarim Ali pointed out that “although the country has formal structures such as parliaments, ministries and regional governments, political authority often depends on alliances between clans and elitist networks, rather than on institutional norms or political programs,” adding that “completing the Constitution is an important milestone, but it will not transform the political system on its own.”
Another of the issues that has raised the most suspicions among civil society and the Somali opposition is the modification of the presidential term, which goes from four to five years. This fact puts tension on the debate over the electoral calendar, which was to take citizens to the polls next May. Although the new Constitution does not detail whether the current legislature should be automatically extended by 12 months, the opposition has expressed its fear that Mohamud will take advantage of this shadowy area to unilaterally remain in the presidential chair for an extra period of time.
“As political leaders debate federalism, constitutional reform and electoral arrangements, many ordinary Somalis feel alienated from these discussions. Their most urgent concerns, such as security, employment, infrastructure or basic services, tend to receive less attention than political negotiations between elites,” wrote Abdikarim Ali, which summarizes the differences between the interests of the ruling class, which argues to maintain or share power, and those of citizens, who simply yearn for a better life.
In the image above, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud signs the country’s new Constitution. Photography: Villa Somalia/Getty
