This article lists political parties in Somalia. In 2017 an independent electoral commission was inaugurated with a mandate to oversee the process of registration of political parties in the country, according to Article 47 of the Federal Provisional Constitution which provides for an electoral system. The system guarantees participation of every individual who subscribes to a political party.[1] NIEC has registered over 100 political parties, most of which still operate from outside the country for security reasons.[2] For this reason, political parties still remain relatively weak in the country.
In October 2019 six parties joined together to form the Forum for National Parties, an alliance founded by former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed which has come together to address the political and security issues faced by Somalia.[3] The alliance includes Himilo Qaran party, led by former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, and Peace and Development Party led by current President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Other key leaders joining the coalition include Ilays party leader Abdulkadir Osoble, former South West President Sharif Hassan and former defense minister Mohamed Abdi, the first interim president of Azania.
Overview and background
editDuring the civilian administration which existed prior to the seizure of power by the Supreme Revolutionary Council (SRC) in 1969, there were a number of local political parties. Most notable of these early institutions was the Somali Youth League, the nation's first political organization. Upon assuming office, the SRC (led by Siad Barre) outlawed all extant political parties,[4] and established the Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party to advocate a form of scientific socialism inspired by 1960s Soviet Union.[5] Following the outbreak of the civil war in 1991 that saw the ouster of the Barre regime, many of the few remaining political parties gave way to autonomous or semi-autonomous regional states, or fragmented into feuding militia groups. After several unsuccessful national reconciliation efforts, a Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was formed in 2000 with a five-year mandate leading toward the establishment of a new constitution and a transition to a representative government.[6] The Federal Government of Somalia was established on August 20, 2012, concurrent with the end of the TFG's interim mandate. It represents the first permanent central government in the country since the start of the civil war.[7]
On 29 May 2017, the Somali Political Parties Registration Office was established in Mogadishu. The office's job is to bring the country to the party system and remove it from the current 4.5 clan power-sharing system.[8][9] On 3 December 2017, the Independent Electoral Commission began registering political parties in Somalia for the first time in 50 years.[10]
Parties
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Current
editAs of 2023, the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) has registered a total of 110 parties.[11] Some of the notable ones include:
Former
editPuntland
editAs of May 2020, there are 17 registered political parties in Puntland.[14]
| Name | Ideology | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Horseed | Conservatism | First political party in Puntland |
| Justice and Equality | Islamic democracy | New political organisation |
| Kaah | Democracy | Ruling party |
| Ururka Dadka Puntland | Democracy | Previously the ruling party |
Somaliland (disputed entity)
edit| Name | Ideology | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| For Justice and Development | Democratic socialism Social democracy |
21 / 82
|
| Kulmiye | Social liberalism | 30 / 82
|
| Waddani | Nationalism Populism Islamic democracy |
31 / 82
|
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "SOMALIA'S NATIONAL INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSION SETS UP OFFICE OF REGISTRAR OF POLITICAL PARTIES". UNSOM. 23 May 2017.
- ^ "Registered Political Parties". NIEC. Retrieved 2022-05-16.
- ^ "In Somalias nascent democracy clans could still be needed". Garowe Online. 8 November 2019.
- ^ Metz, Helen C., ed. (1992), "Coup d'Etat", Somalia: A Country Study, Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, retrieved October 21, 2009.
- ^ Peter John de la Fosse Wiles, The New Communist Third World: an essay in political economy, (Taylor & Francis: 1982), p. 279 ISBN 0-7099-2709-6.
- ^ Central Intelligence Agency (2011). "Somalia". The World Factbook. Langley, Virginia: Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 2011-10-05.
- ^ "Somalia: UN Envoy Says Inauguration of New Parliament in Somalia 'Historic Moment'". Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
- ^ "Xafiiska Diiwaangelinta Xisbiyada Siyaasadeed oo laga furay Muqdisho". BBC News Somali (in Somali). 2017-05-29. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
- ^ "Somalia sets up office to register political parties - Xinhua | English.news.cn". www.xinhuanet.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
- ^ "Somalia: 7 political parties created for first time in 50 years". Middle East Monitor. 2017-12-04. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
- ^ "Registered Political Parties". NIEC. 2017-07-23. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
- ^ Mukhtar, Mohammed H. (1989). The Emergence and Role of Political Parties in the Inter-river Region of Somalia from 1947 to 1960 (Independence). London. pp. 308–313.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Samatar, Abdi Ismail (2016). Africa's First Democrats: Somalia's Aden A. Osman and Abdirazak H. Hussen. Indiana University Press. p. 124. ISBN 9780253022370.
- ^ "Akhriso magacyada ururada siyaasadeed ee Puntland iska diiwaan galiyey (muuqaal) | Puntlandes.com". Retrieved 2020-12-02.