The Somali Cabinet approved Thursday the laws on elections and political parties, which will pave the way for direct presidential and parliamentary elections. Farhan Mohamed Jamaale, the spokesman for the Somali government, said in statements that these laws will move the country from the old system of indirect elections that has been used for a long time, to a new system that will allow the people the opportunity to elect their representatives in Parliament and the next president through direct voting. He added, "This will give citizens the right to vote and elect for the first time in 55 years," describing the approval of the two laws as a "historic day." The two laws are scheduled to be presented to the parliament in its two chambers /People's/ and /Senate/ in the coming days for discussion and approval to enter into force, after being signed by the head of state. In May 2023, the Somali government announced that general elections would be held this year, in a new form that differs from the previous ele ctoral law, which embodies a tribal model for sharing power and positions based on the "4.5" rule, where 4 major Somali tribes are given a full share, while the rest of the tribes together share half a share. Source: Qatar News Agency