Somalia's election commission has set parliamentary polls for April and presidential polls for May, marking the country's next major attempt at a democratic transition. The announcement puts firm dates on a process that many inside and outside the country have been watching closely, given how much is at stake for a nation still finding its footing.
The timing has already drawn criticism. Opponents of the plan argue that moving forward with elections in a country this fragmented, and still fighting a long-running Islamist insurgency, risks deepening existing tensions rather than easing them. The concern is not abstract: Somalia has seen how political uncertainty and armed conflict feed each other.
Whether the commission can hold to its timeline, and what the security situation looks like by the time Somalis go to the polls, remains the real question hanging over this announcement.
Originally published by AllAfrica.