Somalia To Abolish Post Of Prime Minister, Introduce Presidential System - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th May, 2023) Somalia's national and local political leaders have agreed to abolish the post of prime minister and introduce direct universal suffrage to elect the country's president, media reported on Sunday.

Somalia's existing governance system has the president elected by members of parliament, with two-thirds of votes required for a candidate to secure the office.

The leaders held a four-day summit presided over by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu where they reached an agreement on comprehensive political reforms in Somalia to stabilize and democratize the country, the Dalsan radio station reported.

The officials and politicians agreed to introduce a "one-person, one-vote" electoral model, with the elections taking place once every five years, the Somali National news Agency (SONNA) said, adding that the leaders also decided to abolish the post of prime minister.

The reforms will establish the presidential system in the country where the president and vice president will be elected directly on a single ticket, SONNA also said.

Somalia collapsed as a unified nation in 1991 with the downfall of the Siad Barre's dictatorship. The international community recognized the Mogadishu-based Federal government as the only legitimate authority in Somalia, while chunks of the country in the north and east remain under the control of self-proclaimed and unrecognized Somaliland and Puntland.