Political Reform 2013-2016-Mareeg.com–Between 2013 and 2016, Somalia experienced the hype and disappointment of “Vision 2016,” metaphor for “political reform” that prioritized three tasks: 1. the review and completion of the Provisional Constitution; 2. the establishment of Federal Member States (FMS) through political and legal framework; and 3. the democratization of the political system by enacting political party law and electoral law for free and fair election; all were to be done before August 2016 election. The International Community pledged 2.8 billion dollars to support the statebuilding priorities, including the political reform.
No significant actions have been taken for the completion of the provisional constitution and the democratization of the political system. The improvised formation of the FMS violated the provisional constitution and common sense practices of public policy development. More harmfully, the process left the 1.6 million people living in Benadir region out of the benefits of self-governance within the framework of the federal system for no good reasons.
Thus, “Vision 2016” fell far short of accomplishing the basic expectations of building Somali State with legitimacy, authority, and capacity. The stalled review and completion of the Provisional Constitution until today, despite flurry of consultation shows, remains principal obstacle to building sustainable state in Somalia.
Political Development 2017-2018
