Somalia leaders agree to bolster security, universal elections following Mogadishu summit

The Federal Government and the Federal member states have made progress in the ongoing consultative forum aimed at streamlining better service delivery. 

The National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting concluded its summit in Mogadishu with federal and regional leaders agreeing on a five-point communique that focuses on security and elections.

The NCC agreed to a political agreement on delineating powers at the federal and regional levels. 

However, the Puntland leader Said Abdullahi Deni refused to sign the final communique of the summit which was called for by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. 

This could be a new political turmoil and an increased difference between Garowe and Mogadishu. 

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited the state upon his re-election to weed out differences with the autonomous state.

The Council has applauded the security forces’ continued offensive against Al Shabaab.

The federal and regional leaders also suggested that the offensive would soon extend to Southwest State and Jubaland.

The NCC resolved to form a technical committee to complete the 2017 National Security Architecture, which clarified the size and distribution of security forces and the command and control structures within and between them.

The leaders agreed that the committee would be formed by January 10, 2023, and would make recommendations and present a comprehensive report. 

In a statement, the leaders also agreed to appoint a committee to prepare recommendations for delivering universal elections in Somalia.

Somalia once again this year held indirect elections. The original plan was to hold universal suffrage for the first time in 50 years, but this fell through as security, legal and financial realities kicked in ahead of elections.

Somalia needed a constitution to give a legal framework for constituencies and voting. 

That wasn’t achieved. Instead, officials fell back on indirect elections where elected legislators in the Upper and Lower Houses sit jointly to elect a president by secret ballot.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is optimistic to hold universal one-man one-vote elctions in the country.