A Study of Decentralised Political Structures for Somalia: A Menu of Options

This study presents a menu of options for setting up decentralized political structures and forms of government in Somalia, following the disintegration of the state in the mid-1990s. The four models are: a confereration; a federation; a decentralized unitary state; and a consociational, non-territorially based form of decentralization. The study relates options derived from constitutional experiences around the world, to the unique circumstances of Somalia. The main substantive topics include: decentralization options for democratic reconstruction; the political economy of decentralization; remaking administrative structures; the judicial branch; defence and foreign relations; and principles of constitutional and electoral design.