Somalia swears in new MPs amid vote criticism
MOGADISHU: Somalia on Tuesday swore in new lawmakers after weeks of voting in a complex political process seen as its most democratic election in nearly five decades, despite significant flaws.
The new parliament was inaugurated under tight security in Mogadishu two months after voting began. Lawmakers are expected to elect a president by secret ballot, however it was unclear when that would take place.
The vote for president has been put off several times as a result of delays in the election of lawmakers due to clan disputes, accusations of fraud, and organisational challenges. Top election official Omar Mohamed Abdulle said 284 members of parliament were sworn in. Some lawmakers were absent while other seats were still subject to disputes.
Somalis had been promised a national election this year, however infighting, insecurity and lack of institutional infrastructure meant they had to settle for a ‘limited’ political process. This process saw clan elders pick 14,025 special delegates who voted for 275 seats in the lower house of parliament.
The country also saw the introduction of an upper house and a quota reserving 30 percent of seats for women.
While the very existence of the process is seen as somewhat of a miracle in the shattered nation, it has been riddled with vote buying, corruption and the usual clan disputes.
A last minute decision by Somali authorities to add an extra 18 seats to the upper house after complaints of insufficient representation by some clans — bringing it to 72 members — drew the ire of the international community.
“International partners believe that the integrity of the 2016 electoral process hangs in the balance,” read a statement by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNISOM) issued Tuesday.