POTENTIAL LANDSLIDE 202O ELECTION VICTORY FOR FARMAAJO

Garowe, May 13, 2019

With no state or national plan and socio-economic vision of their own, and with the demographic reality of 70% youthful population of Somalia, who are now actively social media connected, getting their information mainly from Facebook, regional states (Federal Member States) have no influence in the political orientations of their respective residents. On the contrary, the Federal Government of Somalia has attained the biggest impact and influence in the political opinion-forming of young generations in favor of Farmaajo re-election bid.

The exception is probably Somaliland, whose youth were exposed to anti-Somalia school curricula and secessionist indoctrination for more than two decades. Even here, there is increasing social media influence, clearly coming out publicly during Farmaajo Election as President in 2016 with outright celebrations and social media entries and sharing of the event in urban centers of Somalia’s Northwestern Regions.

With no national or state history taught in Somalia’s religiously dominated schools and business-like shops as universities of lowest grades and ratings, Somalia’s youth have no alternative sources of information to social media, where the leaders of the Federal Government give more priority than the security of Mogadishu or addressing the issue of Law & Order, in general.

As a keen observer of Somalia’s political developments and heightened exposure of youth to social media, Facebook in particular, I won’t be surprised if Farmaajo could be able to marshall landslide election victory in 2020.