Somalia has not experienced free and fair elections since 1969. Rather, the scene was dominated by political fluctuations after the military coup that toppled the Somali civil government on 21 October 1969. After the downfall of the Somali central government in 1991, the country entered into a chaos tunnel characterized by the absence of law and the division of the society into belligerent tribes and militias. This has made the restoration of security and stability extremely difficult.
However, preparations are underway to hold the presidential and parliamentary elections at the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021 in Somalia. A new draft electoral law has been developed by the Ministry of the Interior after consultation with the five federal states and the parties concerned. It was then approved by the Council of Ministers and both chambers of Parliament, to be ratified by President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo in February 2020.
Holding elections in a federal country with weak institutions in both the center and the periphery constitutes a completely new adventure. The political scene lacks federal states that are united, strong and capable of negotiating. Neither is there a strong center that is capable of delegating some of its powers to the periphery.
On the contrary, there is a federal government that has failed to take control of many areas and that acts as if it is in control of the whole of Somalia. In contrast, there are regional states that are weak and incapable of properly controlling the areas where they are located.
According to analysts, election under president Farmajo is a total failure due the absence of the electoral infrastructure, continued insecurity in the country, and the political crises between the federal government and provincial governments.
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