Saturday November 23, 2024
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia's Lower House of Parliament approved electoral Law on Saturday, marking a significant step toward implementing one-person, one-vote elections nationwide.
Speaker Sheikh Aden Nur Madobe announced that 172 lawmakers attended the session, with 169 voting in favor, two opposing, and one abstaining. The approval follows the recent passage of the Law establishing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the Law of Political Parties.
"This law will give a voice to the people of Somalia, allowing them to elect their representatives at district, state, and federal levels," said Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh. "I commend the parliamentarians for restoring the power of choice to the people."
The legislation is part of broader efforts by Somalia's federal government to advance democratic governance and move away from the clan-based power-sharing system that has defined the country's politics for decades.
The laws lay the groundwork for Somalia to hold universal suffrage elections, a goal President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre have championed as vital to strengthening the nation's political institutions.