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Why do Somalis from all walks of life want to support “One Person, One Vote”? 

After enduring nine years of territorial fragmentation from 1991 to 2000, the push to create a transitional government in Arta, Djibouti, in 2000 was viewed as a promising development. More importantly, the aspiration wasn't limited to re-establishing governance; it was the deeper belief that ordinary individuals would soon be empowered to influence change through direct voting action. The voting system was not a major or urgent issue since the Somali government operated as a one-party state 1969 until 1991. Subsequent transitional and post-2012 administrations did not examine, revise, or amend the 1961 constitution to bring the newly enacted Election Law into compliance with the “one person, one vote” system. The transitional and post-transitional authorities lost out on the chance to enact universal suffrage, which Somaliland’s small clan enclave administrations successfully accomplished. 

In light of these circumstances, we, a diverse group of communities both domestically and internationally, are backing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s "one person, one vote" initiative through a petition because of its inherent significance and moral weight, even as we acknowledge the systemic corruption and incompetence of his administration. This petition aims to convey a clear message to politicians across the spectrum that citizens have grown weary of their endless political games. Given their perpetual political games, it has become clear that our nation cannot sustain such extreme inequality, which enables a small group of corrupt figures—who constantly rotate back into power—to exercise tyrannical control over the populace. Somali citizens worldwide have realized through painful experience that this path was unsustainable.

The behaviour of candidates and clan leaders like Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, Omar Abdirashid, Said Farah Shirdon, Hassan Ali Kheyre, and Mohamed Hussein Roble, is a clear contradiction: while publicly championing direct elections to bolster their image, they work behind the scenes to maintain the current indirect process. We have uncovered that these opponents spent their time in office selling the nation to the highest bidder, while foolishly raising false alarms to manipulate their way back into power through indirect election. Under the current system of indirect elections, it is imperative that we deny these ruthless opponents any path back into our politics. Each single one of them is from a different camp. Some are with the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Kenya, while others are with Turkey and Qatar. We assume that Israel, US, and the UK control each of these nations in the background. We need to change course because the administrations of these dishonest opposition leaders have already failed and left us in a nation without a constitution. 

The most infuriating thing is that, despite the fact that they kept giving us, the people, early warnings and reality checks, our clannish mindset has not only allowed them to repeatedly trick us, but we would do whatever it took to protect them. As a result, this mindset fostered a culture where leaders escape accountability for professional failures, further exacerbating our persistent governance crises.

Despite all of this evidence, participation in the nation’s elections is further complicated  by Non-State-Actors (NSAs) such as Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Faith Based Organization (FBOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). It is also crucial to understand that most local NSAs operate independently of governmental oversight, even though they are perceived as nonprofit entities that support collective, public, or social causes. This is because many local NSAs generate revenue for government top officials who have a stake in them. You, Your Excellency Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, are the ideal illustration of this. In order to maximize influence and power, NSAs chairs inform those in positions of authority, the ones who have stake in it, by making it easier for them to understand the loopholes and advising them to base their decisions on the information provided. Our nation was transformed by NSA-ization of an economy, which ultimately resulted in a self-sufficient sector that functioned almost like a parallel economy. The country’s NSAs have never supported democratic ideals and instead continues to support corrupt leaders during times of crisis out of fear of losing their dominant force in terms of specialized mission, funding sources, or operational independence. 

Because the current environment is so compromised, achieving the democratic representation is unlikely without a consensus between You, Excellency, and the opposition. You need to commit to a three-to-four-year transition period to build a robust, audited, and biometric-based registration system that will resolve these issues once and for all. The thought of your presidency dragging on for another three or four years feels exhaustive to many, largely because your administration continues to miss the mark on its commitments to transparency and ethical leadership.

Our goal is to firmly embed a sustainable “one person, one vote” principle into our societal fabric to put an end to the systemic issues that continue to undermine us. The catch, however, is that you and your opposition must reach a consensus to select an outsider untainted by the rent-seeking practices that both sides exemplify. Numerous capable individuals are ready to spearhead the highly anticipated one person, one vote task force.

We, collectively recommend Abdirazak Fartaag, the former Public Finance Management head, to lead the task force as its chairman. We understand that Abdirazak Fartaag is seen by your group, the oppositions, and donors as arrogant, incorruptible, controversial, individualistic, and overly independent, and we anticipate that his appointment as chairman will trigger conflict among all involved.  Still, many of us–at home and overseas–contend that Abdirazak Fartaag could serve as a tactical vehicle to realize your “one person, one vote” goal, assuming your commitment is genuine, unlike that of the opposition. 

Excellency, you are running out of time, and it appears you have exhausted every strategy to outwit your opponents and the public. We are eager to collaborate with you and other stakeholders to fulfill your initiative for one person, one vote plan. Please honor our proposal by acting with integrity and showing respect for us as citizens. 

We are hopeful for a positive response. 

To further strengthen our position, we are collecting signatures from communities across countries, mainly in the Western world, Africa, and Asia, as well as domestically, supporting this petition.