Somalia’s 2021 election strategy is a different way for lawmakers to receive bribes

Photo/Somali Times




The 2021 election strategy is very different from the previous ones

Somalia’s presidential race is expected to take place this year in a different light, with changes in the way money is paid for lawmakers voting for the new president. According to the Electoral Commission told Somali Times Farmajo is willing to per vote for over $100,000.

In previous elections, most recently with the election of Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, tens of thousands of dollars were spent on votes for each member of parliament.

Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is believed to have bought $85,000 for each of the 70 lawmakers’ votes, which he passed in the first round of the 2017 election, before receiving free votes from lawmakers who opposed Hassan Sheikh, making him president.

However, while it is still believed that they will not resort to buying votes, presidential candidates are using a different strategy this year than we have learned in previous years.




There are two reasons for this:

1. Lack of trust in parliamentarians: In previous elections, most recently in 2017, many MPs did not vote for candidates they received money from, and they relied on, who promised.

The fact; that the vote is secret, and can never be known which candidate to vote for, makes it easier for a member of parliament to take money from one or more candidates, and then vote for the one he or she ideologically or tribally supports.

2. Strong lack of funds for candidates: This year’s presidential candidates in Somalia are facing a severe shortage of funds, with most of them in a desperate situation, let alone buying votes, even struggling to run, pay strong daily bills and expenses.

The lack of funding is due to the fact that most of the countries that paid the candidates, most notably the Arabs, have closed their doors to the candidates this year, and have so far refused to pay.




The Arab states closed the doors for two reasons; they are still skeptical that elections will take place in the country, and that previous elections have taken money from candidates who are not serious about running for president. While the funds may be released later, closing their doors has forced candidates to play other strategies.

This tactic may work, because most of the lawmakers currently in office did not need to pay, taking advantage of the influence of some state leaders.

President Farmajo, who is believed to be the richest candidate, as he is in control of the government and the nation’s finances, is also trying to produce a majority of new parliamentarians, at a time when it is believed that most lawmakers currently in office do not.

The emergence of more new parliamentarians gives Farmajo hope, while the return of most current lawmakers further damages his hopes and strengthens the possibility of a new president.

However, at a time when it is believed that the votes of parliamentarians in the next election could reach hundreds of thousands of dollars each, it is now possible that in this election the votes of MPs will be the cheapest.