KISMAYO, Somalia – Preparations for the presidential election in Jubaland are underway in Kismayo town, about 500 kilometers from Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. The election comes amid growing political tensions over the region’s defiance of Somalia’s one-person, one-vote electoral system.
President Ahmed Madobe, who has been in office since 2012, is seeking re-election. He faces three other candidates competing for the leadership of Jubaland in Monday’s election.
However, the election will be held through an indirect voting system, a method pushed by Madobe that challenges the central government led by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, which envisions a more unified, direct electoral system across Somalia.
In his re-election campaign speech on Sunday, Madobe said he would negotiate with the central government to work on the nation’s and the people’s interests if re-elected.
Currently, both Jubaland and the central government are at odds over the indirect election. On Saturday, Somalia’s bicameral parliament passed a new electoral law, which includes a provision (Article 82, Section 2) declaring any election not in line with the law as invalid.
This new law nullifies any results or leader elected as president of Jubaland, as the election violates Somalia’s unified electoral process.
It remains unclear whether President Mohamud will compromise and set aside tensions over Jubaland’s election violation or if he will work with the newly elected president from the Kismayo election.
For decades, Somalia has lacked a nationwide electoral system. Since 1969, key positions like president, prime minister, and speaker have been filled based on clan representation.
Stay tuned on Mareeg.com for more updates as the election will start any minute.
