A “Compromise” Somali Prime Minister

[Deeq A.]

Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — The long-awaited appointment of a Prime Minister had followed the agreement on the electoral model for 2021 elections in Somalia. Mohamed Hussein Roble, the Prime Minister-designate, is a political novice connected with one of the poltico-religious cliques in Somalia — Damuljadid (the new blood).

A picture surfaced showing Roble with key Damuljadiid members, former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamed and Abdikarim Guled, the former Interior Minister, who hails from the same constituency as the new Prime Minister’s. Another picture shows he’s posing for the camera with the former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheire.

Entrenching Somali post-Islamists’ interests: Roble (third from left, standing) with key Damuljadiid leaders including former President Hassan Sh. Mohamud ( six from left, standing).

With the political parties excluded from impending elections, the appointment of Prime Minister allied with Damuljadiid hints at the trend that post-Islamist Somali political cliques managed to forestall a substantive political change in Somalia.

The return to 4.5 powersharing system as foundation for elections not only dashes hopes of those who thought the discriminatory system can be married with one person, one vote elections without addressing the plight of the politically marginalised social groups.

Politically, Somalia has been edging towards a return to 1990s-style politics to assign more political powers to self-appointed ‘powerful’ social groups. The tentacles of post-Islamist Somali cliques reach into all facets of political and commercial arenas at the federal and sub-national levels.

“Somali post-Islamists’ political programme comes across as incendiary. They have a tendency to simultaneously appeal to clan and religious sentiments to bolster their political capital” argued Shu’ayb A. Bile.

The new Prime Minister was spared the hassle to negotiate a deal on the electoral model. He comes to the office with less political pressures, only the commitment to delegate more powers to the Federal Member States to prepare Somalia for elections and to keep post-Islamists in power.

© Puntland Post, 2020

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