Goobjoog Media Group pioneers Presidential Debate in Somalia as it marks 4th anniversary
Goobjoog Media Group is soon launching the first of a kind Presidential Debate in Somalia for the 2016 polls, the Media Group has announced.
The Debate which is in preparation for the upcoming presidential elections will provide a forum for the public to interrogate candidates and equally a chance for the contenders to prosecute their case in public.
In a statement Wednesday, the Media Group said the idea of a presidential debate is not only ground breaking but also crucial in promoting a more transparent and participatory electoral process.
“Presidential Debate is a new phenomenon in Somalia. Though the public will not get a chance to cast individual votes, the debates will be essential in according the citizens of this country a chance to listen to their candidates and positively influence lawmakers in the choice of the right candidate,” the statement read.
Presidential Debates date back to 1858 between Abraham Lincoln and Senator Stephen Douglas for U.S. Senate. They were however face to face debates but the first televised debate was during the 1960 US general election pitying then candidate Senator JF Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon. Kennedy was elected president.
Somalia is heading for elections in August in which case the president will be elected in a joint in a joint sitting by members of the Upper and Lower Houses of Parliament.
Goobjoog Media Group said it will partner with other media houses in the country to conduct the exercise which is will be beamed live to local and international audiences.
The announcement was part of the 4th anniversary celebrations held Thursday in Mogadishu. Goobjoog Media Group also announced it was on the final stages of unveiling a TV channel and business radio.
The dates for the debates will be announced soon.