ition ▁government ▁domin ated ▁by ▁the ▁Som ali ▁Youth ▁League ▁( SY L ) ▁but ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁two ▁cl an - based ▁northern ▁parties , ▁the ▁Som ali ▁National ▁League ▁( SN L ) ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Som ali ▁Party ▁( US P ). ▁Os man ' s ▁appointment ▁as ▁president ▁was ▁rat ified ▁a ▁year ▁later ▁in ▁a ▁national ▁refer endum . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁nine - year ▁period ▁of ▁parliament ary ▁dem ocracy ▁that ▁followed ▁Som ali ▁independence , ▁freedom ▁of ▁expression ▁was ▁widely ▁regarded ▁as ▁being ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁traditional ▁right ▁of ▁every ▁man ▁to ▁be ▁heard . ▁The ▁national ▁ideal ▁prof essed ▁by ▁Som alis ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁political ▁and ▁legal ▁equality ▁in ▁which ▁historical ▁Som ali ▁values ▁and ▁acquired ▁Western ▁practices ▁appeared ▁to ▁co inci de . ▁Polit ics ▁was ▁viewed ▁as ▁a ▁real m ▁not ▁limited ▁to ▁one ▁profession , ▁cl an , ▁or ▁class , ▁but ▁open ▁to ▁all ▁male ▁members ▁of ▁society . ▁As ▁of ▁the ▁municipal ▁elections ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁women ▁in ▁Italian ▁Som al il and ▁voted . ▁Su ff rage ▁later ▁spread ▁to ▁the ▁former ▁British ▁Som al il and ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁when ▁the ▁territorial ▁assembly ▁voted ▁it ▁in ▁at ▁a ▁margin ▁of ▁ 5 2 ▁to ▁ 4 2 . ▁Polit ics ▁was ▁a ▁national ▁past - time , ▁with ▁the ▁popul ace ▁keeping ▁ab re ast ▁of ▁political ▁develop ments ▁through ▁radio . ▁Political ▁eng agement ▁often ▁exceed ed