Somalia - May 2023

On 25 May, voters in the Somalian state of Puntland went to the polls to elect their district councils, in what were the first state-wide direct elections since Puntland’s establishment in 1998 (direct local elections were held in three of Puntland’s districts in 2021). Like much of Somalia, Puntland has used an indirect, clan-based electoral system to select its political representatives. Media reports suggested that voting took place peacefully, notwithstanding the security concerns that led to the postponement of polling in three districts. These concerns arose from a dispute between Puntland’s President Said Abdullahi Deni and members of the political opposition, who accused him of manipulating the electoral process. Of the seven political parties that participated, the ruling Kaah party won the largest number of seats (286 out of 774). Seventeen per cent of seats were won by female candidates, down from the 26 per cent of women who won seats in the 2021 local elections.

Sources: British Broadcasting Corporation, Voice of America, Peace Research Institute Oslo, Puntland Development and Research Center, Transitional Puntland Electoral Commission

Somalia’s federal government and regional leaders announced on 28 May that they had agreed on a series of reforms to the country’s political system that will introduce universal suffrage and direct elections for a President, national representatives, and local and regional councils. With exceptions in the self-governing region of Somaliland and the semi-autonomous state of Puntland (which on 25 May held direct local elections), Somalia has used a clan-based, indirect electoral system since 1969. Local elections in June 2024 are planned as the first to be held under the new system, followed by regional elections in November of that year. The political leaders also agreed to the creation of a two-party political system (their number is not currently limited) and to establish a presidential system in place of the current parliamentary one. Constitutional amendments and other enabling legislation will be needed to give this agreement effect and facilitate the planned elections.  

Sources: Somali National News Agency, Voice of America, Reuters, Jurist,  France24