House Committee to Unveil Proposed Electoral Model in New Report

The ad-hoc committee of the House of the People has submitted its report on the elections low to the House after consultations with the public.

The committee was responsible for collecting and collating public views on the Elections Bill. On May 22, the Bill already went through the first reading. Its formation followed concerns that lawmakers raised on the lack of public support for the Bill.

The committee was formed on July 22.  The most important issue the report mentions is the electoral model that the country must adhere to during the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. Abdirizak Mohamed, one of the committee’s members, it held 64 meetings with members of the federal state, civil society organizations, political parties, and other stakeholders.

In the past, Somali’s elections have hinged on a clan-based model, which the country’s leaders have dubbed 4.5. Through this model, a clan formula is used in distributing power and determining political representation. Based on this, the four major clans take up 61 seats at the Lower House. The other clans (0.5) share the remaining 31 seats.