Somali PM on the brink of failure in the election

The two leaders' standoff raised election uncertainty for the country and gave Al-Shabaab a chance to intensify attacks on towns near the capital, Mogadishu, including Bal'ad district.

News Keydmedia Online
7 February 2022

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The prime minister of Somalia Mohamed Hussein Roble saw his toughest times since taking over the responsibility of the election from the outgoing president Farmajo in May 2021.

Roble, who is a political novice was named as the country’s PM in September 2020 months after his predecessor Hassan Ali Khaire was booted out by the parliament in a no-confidence in July 2020 during a fallout with Farmajo.

Despite making tireless efforts, the PM could not stop the election to go behind the schedule last year in what political analysts blamed his incompetence and Farmajo’s frequent interferences in the process.

There have been two electoral deals that Roble reached with the leaders of the five Federal States since May 2021 that yielded no fruits, leading to continued delays in the voting exercise and fresh disputes.

The National Consultative council which is made up of the Somali Federal Government and the regional administrations agreed early last month to finalize the polls within 60 days, starting from January 15.

The latest timetable has 18 days left to expire with 169 parliamentary seats out of the 275-member Lower House chamber remaining unelected. This shows a total failure in the election by the leaders.

The more delay in the election, the more time Farmajo to stay in power. His four-year mandate has ended in February last year with no successor in place. Somalia is facing its worst crisis in history.

Farmajo made two coup attempts within 2021, sparking a stiff power struggle between him and the prime minister who enjoys the support of the international community and the opposition candidates.

The two leaders' standoff raised election uncertainty for the country and gave Al-Shabaab a chance to intensify attacks on towns near the capital, Mogadishu, including Bal'ad district.

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