Somalia has initiated an overhaul of its political structure, whereby an agreement was signed on Sunday between the government and federated states.
The agreement stipulated the introduction of direct universal suffrage and the transition to a presidential system by 2024.
The long-awaited implementation of the “one person, one vote” principle will begin with local elections slated for June 30, 2024. This will be followed by elections for regional parliaments and presidents on November 30, 2024, as per the agreement.
The direct universal suffrage principle had been abolished after the ascension of Siad Barré, the former dictator who seized power in 1969 in the Horn of Africa nation.
Following the tumultuous aftermath of Siad Barré’s fall in 1991, Somalia’s political system became dominated by numerous clans and sub-clans that comprise the country’s fabric.
