KISMAYO, Somalia – The assertive Ahmed Madobe clinched a notable triumph for his 3rd term in office on Monday, facing vehement opposition from the corridors of Mogadishu, which is pushing for a universal ballot system, an idea that both Kismayo and Garowe aren’t buying.
Last month, Madobe made headlines when he bailed out of the National Consultative Council (NCC) conference. He effortlessly cruised to victory, raking in 55 nods from 75 regional lawmakers. Jubaland will now see him at the helm for another five years.
His chief competitor, Abubakar Omar Ali, captured 16 votes, leaving Faysal Muktar in the dust with a meager 4, as per figures released by the polling body. Just last week, Jubaland elders, using an indirect electoral model, appointed lawmakers for the upcoming assembly.
The election unfolded against a backdrop of significant tension with the federal Somali authorities, who attempted to muscle in on the process, showing the political strains the country grapples with daily. Nevertheless, the election machine kept rolling in Kismayo.
Over the weekend, Madobe shrugged off the federal government’s rebuff of his possible future fourth term in the November 25 contest. With calm assurance, he stated, “I will hold the reins in Jubaland, not the Somali Federal Government.”
Madobe entreated the lawmakers, “Should you choose me, I’ll strike a pact with the FGS to forward our people’s and nation’s cause,” showcasing his determination to go for a fourth term, despite opposition from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
Following hot on its heels, the Jubaland election trails the federal parliament’s approval to introduce elections based on direct voter participation, also aiming to synchronize state elections with the presidential timeline. This proposal foresees Somalia pivoting to a purely presidential system, relinquishing its parliamentary configuration.
Madobe argues that these direct elections could invite illicit extensions in power for both federal and state officials, a stance bolstered by his colleague, Northeastern State’s boss, Said Abdullahi Deni. Both regions have staunchly opposed the federal rules, thereby severing ties.
One close-to-heart mission for Madobe is fending off the Al-Shabaab insurgents, a notorious faction ramping up its presence across the territory. With the year drawing to a close, most personnel of the African Union Transition Mission to Somalia (ATMIS) are set to exit as the task morphs into the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).
AXADLETM
