Somalia will not hold elections in 2016 as planned due to security and other technical difficulties the presidency said on Wednesday.
In its last elections, in 2012, members of parliament were chosen by elders and then those lawmakers chose Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as president.
It was Somalia’s first vote since 1991, when warlords ousted president Mohamed Siad Barre, plunging the country into years of war and chaos.
Although diplomats have long said it was unlikely Somalia would meet its goal of holding a “one person, one vote” election due to infrastructure constraints and security fears, Mohamud’s comments confirmed the fact.
“Parliament and the government have agreed… there cannot be one man, one vote elections in the country in 2016,” said Abdulahi Godah Bare, parliamentary committee chairman in charge of the election, citing the political and security situation in the country.
“I came here today to affirm to you and instill confidence over the political transition we said we would achieve in 2016 which seems impossible next year. I would like to assure that we are not going to have one-man-one-vote elections next year as planned,” he said.
The government did not explain how it would make the election more democratic, which it has long promised.
“One person, one vote’ will be not possible in 2016,” Mohamud said, according to the Somali presidency Twitter account.
Premier Sharmaarke called on the two arms of government—the executive and the legislature —to work together and be united under the prevailing political realities in Somalia.
Earlier this week, Somali lawmakers and cabinet ministers said leaders would be chosen by regional leaders and “various members of society”, without elaborating on what that meant.
Mohamud has said he is committed to holding elections on time before his current term runs out in August 2016, and that, however the process is held, he hopes the next one will have “more legitimacy” than the current one.
Diplomats have said that delays in writing a new constitution, registering voters and other groundwork have meant the goal of holding a one person one vote poll is unrealistic.
