Thursday’s weekly cabinet meeting in Mogadishu was presided over by Prime Minister Hamsa Abdi Barre, who urged cabinet members to quickly put into action the political decisions and agreements made at the just concluded National Consultative Meeting in the capital.
The Somali people have a significant opportunity to shape their own futures through the implementation of the agreement on the electoral process, according to Prime Minister Barre. In his words, “As a government, we have a responsibility to give the people the opportunity to elect
their leaders.” Prime Minister Barre also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to starting the country’s second phase of the Al-Shabaab operation. He gave them instructions to go to the front lines and support the troops by visiting the battlefields.
The prime minister asserted, “We should not only be a new political revolution, but also a security revolution that restores peace to this country, settles the debts process, and completes the constitution.
After four days of talks in Mogadishu, Somalia’s political leaders recently decided to reform the political structure of the nation. The National Consultative Council, which consists of four regional leaders, the mayor of Mogadishu, and federal officials including President Hassan Sheikh
Mohamud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, and Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, decided to implement direct elections as early as next year. They also supported creating a presidential system and standardizing the election schedule
They also decided that there would be just two political parties competing for national power. The number of political parties is unrestricted under the current political parties law.
Nevertheless, a number of politicians, including former government officials, have opposed the new electoral system in Somalia, claiming that it violates the nation’s constitution and throws off the country’s power-sharing arrangements.
One of the federal member states, Puntland, has also voiced opposition to the scheme. The most recent National Consultative Meetings were held in Mogadishu and Baidoa without the participation of Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni.
