The National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) was establish in the Year 2015. NIEC is a constitutional commission stipulated under the provisional constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia. The establishment and the mandate of NIEC are specified in article 111G of Somalia constitution.
The membership of the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) consists of the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and 7 other commissioners who shall be responsible for guiding the policy and strategy of the institution. They are divided into three sub-committees: Administration and Finance sub-Committee, Electoral Operations sub-committee and Public Outreach sub-committee. The day-to-day work of the Commission is under the responsibility of the Commission’s Secretariat headed by the Secretary General [SG].
The National Independent Electoral Commission is established under Article 111G of the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia, which defines the mandate of the Commission.
Members of the NIEC were recruited for their respective roles through a long and transparent process. The hiring of the Commission members was presented to the Somalia public through the media including the newspapers. A large number of the Somali people have applied for membership to commission. The applicants were sorted by the Ministry of Interior of Somalia. It shortlisted the most competent ones and submitted their names to the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers selected nine (9) members and forwarded to the House of the People of the Fedearl Parlimament which voted for and approved them individually. When each member garnered the required vote (50%+1), the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia issued their names through a Presidential Decree.
To conduct elections and referenda that promote and safeguard the democratic aspirations of the Somali people.
A credible and accountable electoral body which builds the trust and confidence of the Somali people in an electoral process that is inclusive and transparent.
- Integrity
. We shall deliver on our mandate free from undue influence.
- Transparency
We shall conduct our affairs in an open and accountable manner.
- Inclusivity
We shall provide equal opportunity to all stakeholders to participate in democratic electoral processes.
- Impartiality
We shall serve all our stakeholders in a non-partisan manner without ill-will or bias.
- Respect for the rule of Law
We shall conduct our affairs in accordance with the law
Free and Fair Election in 2020
The NIEC consists of four (4) departments which are:
- Department of electoral operations
- Department of public outreach and voter education
- Department of administration and finance
- Legal department
Note: Each department has its own director as well as several managers
Note: In addition to the above four departments, the Commission also has the political party registration office which is responsible for registering, monitoring and working with political parties. The office is headed by the political party registrar.
charterka
- To conduct the Presidential Elections
- To conduct the Federal Parliament elections
- To conduct voter registration
- The registration of the candidates for elections
- To delimit the constituencies and electoral wards
- The regulation of the political parties system
- The settlement of electoral disputes
- The facilitation of the observation, monitoring and evaluation of the elections.
- The regulation of the money spent by the candidates and the parties
- The development of the electoral code of conduct for the electoral candidates and the parties
- The monitoring of complaints related to the nomination of party candidates,
- Voter education.
In Somalia there is only the National Independent Electoral Commission, which is responsible for administering and managing the elections at National, Regional and District levels & the public referendum
- Where is the Headquarter of the NIEC ?
The headquarter of the Commission is in the capital city of the country, Mogadishu
- Does the Commission have centers in the regions of the country?
The Commission have field office in all the capital cities of the federal member states. The Commission also plans to extend its work to district levels.
The commission opens these offices to facilitate the implementation of the mandate conferred on NIEC
The election is not a one-day event. It is a long-term process and has various stages. The electoral cycle is divided into three major phases:
In the Pre- election period, a broad range of activities should be undertaken including:
- developing the laws and regulations necessary for the election;
- voter education;
- voter registration;
- registration of political parties and their candidates;
- security and logistics preparations.
- procuring election materials;
- preparing the electoral budget;
- training of the temporary election staff;
- registration and accreditation for the election observers
- election campaigns
Activities that take place during the election period include:
- Voting
- Vote counting
- Submitting and handling complaints related to election results
- Declaring and disseminating the official results of the election
Post-election activities include:
- Evaluation of the electoral system
- Updating the voter register
- Developing and enhancing the capacity and knowledge of NIEC.
- Reviewing the election laws
- Archiving
In order to conduct a general election in our country, it is necessary to prepare in advance the basic laws and regulations for that election. Necessary laws included are:
- Electoral Commission Law- It is ready
- Political Parties Law- It is ready
- Rules of procedures for registering the political parties- It is ready
- Electoral Law – it is before the Parliament (July 2019)
- Citizenship Act – Not ready
Election is a system by which voters elect their leadership and representatives at the local, regional or national level.
Elections are also used to identify the representatives and leaders of organizations such as political parties and organizations thereof.
Elections have 5 main features of importance.
Elections provide the government with the power and legitimacy to take important decisions about social issues.
Through elections, the people decide who will represent them in decision-making, the powers of elected people and when they have to hand over that power.
This power has 2 sides. (i) Voters are able, during the elections, to strip the incumbent government of power, and (ii) they are also able to extend the term for the incumbent government.
Elections make it easy for voters to choose their representatives whom they think can represent them basing on their principles and actions. People elect from among themselves those who have the essential qualities such as knowledge, integrity, honesty, ability to work together and compromise.
- Elections provide an opportunity to compete to the eligible citizens who have leadership skills.
- Through elections, they will also transition from indirect electoral system which is based on clan affiliations.
can elections be conducted in the absence of population census?
Yes. elections can be conducted without population census. But it is important that the National Independent Electoral Commission conducts the voter registration.
- The National Independent Electoral Commission will register Somali voters for the first time in history.
In all the countries where democratic elections are held, the voter must be registered to vote and participate in the elections. Voter registration is a system for collecting voter data such as name, date of birth, gender and address.
Voter registration is one of the most important tasks in the electoral process and is a one of the prerequisite for voting. It is important to know that you cannot vote if you are not registered.
in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) shall register everyone who meets the voter registration requirements. The NIEC is also responsible for storing and keeping records.
- A Somali citizen
- Reached 18 years of age at the time of registration
- Having a sound mind
- Not a convicted prisonerNote:
- An unregistered voter will not vote
- Registration is free of charge
- After you register, you will receive a voter ID card
- You will vote at the place of your registration
- After the election, the voter has the right to change the registration/polling location.
If we decided to move from the clan-based power sharing system it is necessary to have political parties.
therefor
A political organization is a group of people who are registered as a legal political party and want to take part in political contest.
A democratic political party is an institution that represents the different parts of society and holds true accountability, presents a variety of political plans, and candidates participating in general elections, and participates in the formation of government or in opposition.
Read the appendix below for political parties to find out more.
Rights:
- Every citizen has the right to take part in public affairs (as per Article 22 Paragraph 1).
- To elect and to be elected (according to Article 22 Paragraph 2).
- The right to form or be a member of a political party (in accordance with Article 22, paragraph 1, section A).
- To be elected to any position within a political party.
- To have a government that represents his interests.
-
OUR RIGHTS OUR RESPONSIBILITES Right 1: To have an opportunity to participate in elections Somali citizens who have reached the age of voting and have registered shall have the right to vote. No one can be barred from voting based on his/her appearance, finances, disability, clan or ethnic background.
Responsibility 1: Register Only a registered voter can have the opportunity to vote on election day. People can register and vote when they reach the age required by the law.
Right2: Equal [ weighting] for the vote Each voter shall have only one vote on election day. All people are equal. Votes cannot be bought or sold, and no extra voting opportunity can be given to anyone. For example, the vote of an 18-year-old is as worth as the vote of person twice his/her age.
Responsibility 2: Voting on the election day Voting is voluntary; but it is the responsibility of every Somali voter to take part, so that he country would have a representative government. caring leadership.
Right3: Secret ballot Voting is done secretly. The person votes in a concealed place. secrecy of the ballot enables people to vote fearlessly and lowers the risk of bribery.
Responsibility 3: Learn how to mark the ballot paper Voters should understand how the voting system works, from how the paper is marked till how the votes are counted.
Right4: Participation in regular elections Elections must be held on a regular basis. This is stated in the constitution of the Republic of Somalia. Anyone who wants to be in the Parliament must come before the people to be elected.
Responsibility 4: Becoming an active citizen This means that you should take part on choosing the representatives who will make the decisions that will affect your life. Citizens should be aware of the issues that affect their lives and elect representatives that will take appropriate action on these issues.
Right5: To have free and fair elections The National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) is mandated by the constitution to conduct free and fair general elections in the country in every four years.
Responsibility 5: Making informed decisions Voters must be aware of the candidates / parties contesting in the election and understand their views and policies on key issues. The reason is that if they get elected, they will make decisions on behalf of the Somali people.
What are the election observers?
Election observers are organizations / institutions of both local and international who evaluate the electoral process.
The observers are neutral organizations which evaluate the election and report on whether the results truly reflect will of the people.
Categories of observers
Election observers are divided into 2 categories;
- Local Observers who are of non-governmental national organizations such as civil the society organizations.
- International Observers who are sent by international institutions / organizations such as the European Union and the African Union.
Some observers may stay in the country, where the election is conducted, for a short period (1 week), while others may stay longer that that (6 – 8 weeks)
Those who stay for a short period of time in the country, monitor the voting and the counting ofWhereas those who stay for a longer period, have bigger tasks as they evaluate other areas including the laws, election campaigns and independence and the impact of the media.
Role of Observers and their importance
The main objective of the election observers is to provide accurate, fair and impartial information relating to the quality and integrity of the election and whether the elections meets the international standards.
Election observers also increase the confidence of people in the electoral process and eliminate the uncertainty and lack of trust. They also expose errors that may be present in the electoral process.
Observation Requirements
Election observations becomes effective when it meets these requirements:
- To get invitation and permission from the country where the election is taking place
- To get full access to all election activities and stakeholders
- To get Freedom of movement
- To get freedom to prepare and disseminate reports
- Independence for selecting the members of the observers
Elections can be defined as free and fair when they embody the following features:
- There are clear rules that guide the elections
The right of a Somali citizen to have free and fair elections is outlined in the provisional constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Also the electoral law and political parties law protect the right of the Somali citizen to vote.
- your vote is secret
The voter participates in the elections without fearing that the candidate or party he/she votes for might be identified. The secret vote also fights bribery and intimidation
- Elections are held on a regular basis
The provisional constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia mandates the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) to conduct elections in the country in every four years.
- You will have multiple parties/candidates to select from
There are many parties you can choose from. Any citizen can be a candidate or form a party. You can also join or support a party.
- Anyone who has registered can vote
Any citizen who reached the age of voting can register. Only registered voters will have the opportunity to vote. The name of every registered voter will appear on the voter register.
- Parties and candidates campaign freely and without any fear
During the campaign, the parties and candidates campaign freely without any fear. There shall also be healthy open debates
- All elections are based on impartiality and transparency
The elections are run by NIEC, it is an organization independent from the government. The parties and candidates in contest are equal before the Commission. The electoral process is equitable and transparent; there is no group or party that can influence it. The public, the political parties and the election observers shall have the right to monitor every action taken by the NIEC.
- All parties and candidates accept the election results
The official results announced by the NIEC are accepted by the parties and candidates participating in free and fair elections. However, if a party or candidate is not satisfied with the results announced by the commission, he or she may go through the legal complaint process, such as to file a complaint with the electoral dispute resolution committee or the relevant court.
What is media?
Media is a channel for broadcasting the news and to the general public; and it includes radio, television, newspapers, internet and social media.
Key Principles of the role of media during elections
- Telling the truth and reporting the facts
- Independence
- Impartiality and fairness
- Working for and with the public interest
- Accountability
- Transparency
- Integrity
The importance of the media for democracy and elections
Independent media is central to democracy; no democratic election is possible without press freedom..
A free and fair election is broader than knowing how to vote and voting freely on Election Day . It is also important to have a participatory electoral system in which the public has access to open discussions/ debates, and get full information about parties, policies, candidates in order to make informed decisions.
The media connects the electorate and the leaders who formulate or set the politics of the country.
What is the role of media during the election
- Informing the public
- Scrutiny / analysis
- Follow up
- Debate and discussion forum
- People’s representation
- Awareness and voter education
- Reporting on updates about the electoral process
- Facilitating election campaigns for parties and candidates
- Reporting the election results
Code of Conduct for the Media during Elections
During the election period, NIEC prepares the media code of conduct. The Code of Conduct clarifies to the media the practices required to uphold during the election as well as what is not allowed/ restricted. i.e. the do’s and the don’ts
Accepting, signing and applying the Code of Conduct is mandatory for the media before they are accredited to cover elections.. A reporter without accreditation from the Commission is not allowed to go to the locations in which the election activities are going on.