MOGADISHU, Somalia — As the sun rises over Mogadishu’s bustling streets, conversations in cafes and markets gravitate towards a shiny new piece of plastic: the national ID card. Its introduction is causing a stir, amplifying fears that it might be wielded as a tool to tilt the scales in the upcoming Villa Somalia-driven “one person, one vote” elections—a process already under scrutiny.
Imagine a national ID card that’s designed to simplify voter verification, make elections fairer. Sounds ideal, right? Yet, there’s a cloud over this initiative—funded by the World Bank—because the sensitive data associated with these IDs finds a home on servers far away, in Pakistan. It’s like handing over your house keys to a neighbor three streets away. For many Somalis, this is a breach of privacy that can’t be swept under the rug.
The person leading the charge here is none other than Cabdikariim Ahmed Hassan, the current head honcho of the contested electoral commission. A fun fact: he once campaigned passionately for the current president. Talk about wearing multiple hats! His ties to the current administration have raised eyebrows and questions—who’s really holding the puppet strings?
As if the idiosyncrasies of Somalian politics weren’t complex enough, the fear that this digital ID scheme mixed with long-standing loyalties could compromise election integrity is palpable. The stakes are high. After all, every citizen’s vote should weigh equally, but what if it’s not just votes being counted, but external influences?
Now, let’s paint a broader picture: Somalia’s dreams of a democratic election seem like trying to fit a camel through the eye of a needle. With only 15 months left on the government’s lease, parts of the nation still tangled in Al-Shabaab’s web, and Northeastern State and Jubaland drifting away from the central political orbit, can this scattered vision ever come together?
In another chapter of Somali politics, the duo of stubborn Federal States and vocal opposition leaders now stands their ground. Their accusations are loud and clear, they claim leaders at Villa Somalia are playing by their own rulebook—tossing aside the Constitution like an old shoe. For them, the one-sided election commission isn’t just unfair, it’s a clear indicator that dissenting voices might not find their echo.
So, what’s really at stake here? It’s the future of a nation’s democratic scaffold, swaying under the weight of mistrust and questionable alliances. Will Somalia navigate through this stormy sea to reach a fair election outcome this time? Only time will tell, and Somalis are holding their breath for history in the making.
Report By Axadle
