Can UN Invoke Chapter VII to break Somalia Electoral Deadlock?

[Deeq A.]

Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — Abdirashid Hashi, the former Director of Heritage Institute for Policy Studies, has called on the United Nations to invoke Chapter VII, which allows the Security Council to “determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression” and to take military and nonmilitary action to “restore international peace and security”.

Hashi: Somalia’s ‘nascent democracy’ is in danger due to the electoral impasse.

Hashi, a former Information Minister of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia under President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, describes the 17 September electoral model as a means for the incumbent President Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed to secure a majority of votes during the election to win a second term. Hashi views South West, Hirshabelle and Galmudug presidencies as outcomes engineered by Villa Somalia.

“Mukhtar Robow, a former Al-shabaab senior leader, was disqualified from South West elections. In Galmudug, the former Ahla Sunna Wal Jama’a was a parallel authority that refused to have its militias integrated with Galmudug security forces.
The alliance of quasi-theocratic Presidential Candidates aim to return to Villa Somalia by hook and crook” said Adan Ali, a commentator in Mogadishu.

The room for mediation by the United Nations or any other member country of Somalia’s International Partners is limited. Last year, the former British Ambassador Ben Fender said that an election based on person, one vote “was blocked.” The Union of Somali Presidential Candidates supported the Electoral Law that was to pave the way for one person, one vote elections, and the subsequent decision to return to indirect elections demanded by Puntland and Jubaland as a precondition for endorsing 17 September electoral model.

“Invoking Chapter VII of the UN Charter will not end the electoral impasse because UNSOM statements emphasise 17 September electoral model as a basis for any agreement on Somalia elections. UN is reluctant to strong-arm Somalia’s federal institutions into accepting renegotiation demands of the National Salvation Council formed by Puntland and Jubaland Presidents” added Aden.

© Puntland Post, 2021

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