Somalia’s parliamentary seats are auctioned before the vote. 275 seats. 275 simultaneous, separate auctions. Each seat has its own pool of delegates, its own clan elder who builds the list, and its own money. On the most contested seats, one delegate’s vote can cost up to $30,000. The method repeats: an invitation, a dinner, a hotel, an oath on the Quran. A former delegate, speaking anonymously, described what came next: “After that, you are not a delegate anymore. You are a captive.” I interviewed more than a dozen delegates, candidates and clan elders across the 2016–2017 and 2021–2022 cycles. Then I followed the market upward. The parliament it produces goes on to elect the president. New in @ROAPEjournal: Bought, held, and sworn. roape.net/2026/10/21/bought-… #Somalia #Elections #Democracy #AfricanPolitics

The delegate in the hotel room, sworn on the Quran, is the base of a structure whose apex is a presidential election purchased by foreign states." Read Bought, held, and sworn, the first of the two long reads. Thanks to @ROAPEjournal for sharing it.