It is proving impossible to hold a fully democratic election in Somalia

HOW do you hold an election without registering voters' That is the question confronting Somali politicians'as well as hordes of diplomats, NGOs and other international hangers-on'trying to create a functional government in Somalia, a country of 10m people which has been effectively stateless since the fall of its military government in 1991.Somalia has been attempting to build a government since 2007, when an African Union peacekeeping force occupied the country (it was invaded by Ethiopia in 2006). In 2012 a provisional constitution was drawn up, and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (pictured), a former academic and aid worker, elected president of the transitional government. The process is supposed to culminate in an election next year to create a Somali government with support across the whole country.To the surprise of almost no one involved, Mr Hassan announced in July that a one-man, one-vote election next year will not be possible after all. He cited the ongoing fight with the Islamic State-linked al-Shabab and the need to maintain national unity. That the government has no capacity to actually conduct a vote in most of the country...Continue reading
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