Somalia’s political leaders have agreed to hold presidential elections on December 28th following three delays that were filled with allegations of robbery, fraud and voter intimidation.
According to a statement issued after an official meeting by political stakeholders, Somalia leaders stated that they expected a new parliament to elect a speaker on December 22nd before parliament members elect the president on December 28th.
Election of a new president is contrary to what most states have been accustomed to, the “popular vote’. In Somalia, around 14,000 delegates are selected by their clans to elect parliament members who then are required to elect the president. This system however brings a lot of challenges in the nation resulting from clan rivalries.
Despite allegations of corruption and manipulation of voters being present, officials state that voting for members of the upper house is almost complete, while that of the lower house just being halfway.
Somalia has been trying to rebuild itself after recently establishing its first functioning central government since 1991, when warlords overthrew a longtime dictator that later plunged the nation into chaos.
