Bridging Tradition and Democracy

Gurmad Qaran Position Paper on Hybrid Electoral Model

Somalia stands at a critical stage in its democratic political transition. The constitutional deadline of 15 May 2026 for holding elections has elapsed without political agreement, leaving the country in a constitutional and political limbo. As competing electoral visions continue to prolong divisions, the need for nationally accepted pathway has become increasingly urgent.

This Gurmad Qaran position paper first assesses Somalia’s previous electoral models and building on their incremental foundations, proposes Bridging Tradition and Democracy, hybrid electoral framework that thoughtfully integrates Somalia’s traditional clan-based structures with democratic and civic principles as a step closer to universal suffrage.

Gurmad Qaran is proposing two options: (1) Clan-level seat allocation based on a rotational principle, followed by competitive candidate selection within the designated clan segment (Jifo), with the candidates securing the majority of votes then presented to district voters for direct election and (2) This option preserves all official House of the People (HoP) seat designations while establishing direct citizen representation. Eligible candidates contest specific seats, and citizens directly elect their preferred representative, with the candidate receiving the most valid votes declared the winner.

The Gurmad Qaran proposal is founded on the recognition that the institutional, legal, security, and administrative facilities necessary for the immediate implementation of nationwide One Person, One Vote (1P1V) are far from being fully established. By measuring Somalia’s current socio-political realities against the ideal aspiration of universal suffrage, the proposal offers a practical and consensus-based transitional framework that addresses existing gaps while preserving political inclusivity and stability. Most importantly, it lays the legal, institutional, and operational foundations for the credible implementation of a genuine One Person, One Vote election by 2030/31.

Foundational Principles of Electoral Reform:

● A fully independent Electoral Commission must be in place, distinct from all previous bodies by the nature of its formation and synchronized duties that ensures complete independence from both federal and regional political influence or control.

● The Commission shall hold full authority over the administration, management, supervision, and monitoring of the entire electoral process.

● The electoral commission must be established through a transparent, inclusive, and consensus based process, ensuring equitable representation and shared ownership among the Federal Government, Federal Member States, and opposition stakeholders

● Any parliamentary or presidential candidate found to have engaged in corruption, bribery, vote manipulation, or other unlawful conduct shall be immediately disqualified.

● The Electoral Complaints Commission must adjudicate electoral complaints transparently and binding decisions regarding contested results.

● The detailed guidelines for the electoral model will be commissioned once agreement is reached on the core principles and the preferred electoral option, and will be issued as an annex to the agreed model.