Hiiraan Online
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
MOGADISHU (HOL) - The highest percentage of Somalis in all cities of the country said they are against the long-running clan power sharing formula, whereas small minority approved it, said a new report by a Mogadishu-based think-tank.
The 4.5, a formula designed to allocate political representation among clans in Somalia was introduced after warlords overthrew the central government in 1991 in a bid to satisfy grievances by clans disgruntled with ‘unfair’ power sharing in Somalia.
“Many Somalis see the 4.5 power-sharing formula as crude and simplistic. Marginalised groups and minority clans in particular perceive it as having reduced their political representation and access to authority”.” said a recent report by the London based Conciliation Resources centre.
According to the lengthy report, over 70 percent of Mogadishu’s residents oppose a term extension for the current parliament and likewise an equal number consider the government as underperforming might explain why they are discontented with the 4.5 clan formula.
“In other words, as the seat of the national government and the epicenter of where the 4.5 system is most practiced (where clan quota takes precedence over meritocracy).” the report said.
The report said that many of those surveyed blamed government of corruption and incompetency along with the government’s ‘dismal’ record.
“Only 11 percent said lack of capacity is holding the government back.” the report said.
In 2013, Somalia’s government drafted a wide-ranging roadmap called Vision 2016 with the purpose of guiding the government until the end of its mandate.
Vision 2016 has three key pillars: preparing the country for free and fair elections in 2016, finalizing the Provisional Constitution, and completing the federation process by establishing the remaining federal member states.
The international community which is spearheading efforts aimed at restoring peace and order into the horn of Africa nation shattered by decades-old conflict mandated the current government to lead country into general elections following the election of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a new parliament and adoption of a new constitution in 2012.