Somali independent constitutional party

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The Somali Independent Constitutional Party (Hizbia Dastur Mustaqil al-Sumal or HDMS ; in Somali Xisbia Dastuur Muustaqiil ) was a political party in Somalia that existed from 1947 to 1969 and mainly represented the interests of the Rahanweyn clan (Digil-Mirifle).

It had its origins in the philanthropic movement "National Charitable Organization" ( al-Jam'iya al-Chairiya al-Wataniya ), which was founded in the 1920s in the Rahanweyn area in the south of what was then Italian Somaliland . In 1947 it was formed as a political party, initially under the name "Digil-Mirifle Party" ( Hizbia Digil-Mirifle , HDM). It later renamed itself the Somali Independent Constitutional Party .

Above all, the party represented the interests of the Rahanweyn (Digil-Mirifle), one of the large Somali clan families who are at a certain disadvantage compared to other clans. It was also supported by other minorities such as the Benadiri , Bravanese and the " Bantu ", who also feared that they would be marginalized by the more powerful clans after Somalia's approaching independence . In their favor, the HDMS called for a census to be carried out to determine the actual numerical strength of the clans, the introduction of a constitution ( dastur ) and a federal system.

The Somali Youth League (SYL), which won 43 out of 60 seats in the National Assembly in the 1956 elections in the now trust territory of Italian Somaliland , did not respond to these demands. The HDMS, which in turn had 13 seats, was not included in the formation of the government. As a result, it boycotted the last elections before independence in 1959 .

In the 1964 National Assembly elections , the HDMS received nine out of 123 seats. After the last free elections in 1969 , in which the SYL won 73 seats, the remaining 50 parliamentarians - including the three representatives of the HDMS - switched to the SYL. In the same year, Siad Barre came to power through a coup and all parties were banned under his dictatorship .

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  • Mohamed Haji Mukhtar: The Plight of the Agro-Pastoral Society of Somalia , in: Review of African Political Economy , 1996
  • Ken Menkhaus: Bantu ethnic identities in Somalia , in: Annales d'Ethiopie , N o 19, 2003 [1]
  • African Elections Database: Elections in Somalia