AXADLETM / EDITORIAL – Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo may be forced to return to the drawing board as political temperatures continue to escalate in Mogadishu ahead of the 2020/21 referendum.
Already challenged by a dwindling economy, inter-clan antagonism and Al-Shabaab’s threat, Mr Farmajo is persistently under pressure from the new opposition alliance.
National Party Forum brings together six major parties, among them the Himilo-Qaran Party of former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and the Union for Peace and Development of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
On Thursday, the coalition led by Sheikh Ahmed rolled out a roadmap highlighting the biggest issues it will focus on before the 2020 polls.
Somalia elects new MPs and president after the current parliamentary term expires in October 2020. President Farmajo, portrayed by his critics as a divisive figure, will seek another term
In a statement on Thursday, the FNP questioned the federal government’s alleged violation of human rights and unjustified witch hunts directed at regime critics.
“This is a step in the right direction that will contribute to the process of political democratization of Somalia with a goal of protecting the integrity of the country,” the statement read.
“Looking back at current political trends, where the president and the executive wing have openly violated fundamental principles of the constitution, the FNP is concerned about current trends.”
Among the most important issues in the coalition manifesto are; unity of nation and people, supremacy in the constitution and completion of the review process, protection of citizens’ fundamental rights, including political representation.
Others listed as fundamental priorities for the coalition include; choice, security, protection, protection and strengthening of the federal system.
The Forum for the National Party Coalition promised to anchor its campaigns in the eight-point manifesto as part of its strategy to defeat the current government.
President Farmajo has fought to implement the constitution with his government, which has often focused on violating fundamental human rights. The review process has not yet been completed.
Cases of brutality perpetrated on civilians by security forces are outrageous in the nation of the Horn of Africa, a move that has provoked calls for radical change within the security team of the FNP.
The composition of the government, says the FNP, does not represent Somalia’s face. The coalition adds that this can be resolved through a total overhaul of the current system.
Parliament is currently in the process of establishing electoral laws that will be enforced in the 2020/21 polls. Strengthening the federal system to lift the country’s economy has been earmarked as the opposition’s top priority.
Both Sheikh Ahmed and Sheikh Mohamud, who served as presidents of the UN-backed federal government, are eager to get Farmajo overthrown through elections.
In September, a distance arose between the two and Farmajo over the inauguration of Ahmed Madobe as regional president of Jubaland.
However, they later traveled to Kismayo in October for the inauguration, a move that has increasingly escalated tensions in Mogadishu.
Farmajo is also involved in a territorial dispute with Kenya, a critical player in the country’s stability.
The maritime dispute in the Indian Ocean is currently being processed by the ICJ. The case has also been one of the biggest concerns during the siege Farmajo gave its diplomatic significance.
AXADLETM
