The solution to creating a legitimate government seems obvious, at least to me.
Below I will list the systems that have been tried for Somalia, and why they didn't work.
The first system that has been attempted was 15 different types of "Warlord Government", in other words the only people invited to form a new government are the very people who have no interest in the well-being of their fellow man and the most to lose if the country every finds peace and re-unifies. Why anyone thought this would ever work is amazing, that people tried to make it work 15 times is depressing.
Amidst these 15 attempts there has also been the 4.5 system. The 4.5 system though is absurd, it's like the house of lords or a monarchy or something, I mean what government requires your genealogy for you to get a seat? If you're going to have a feudal system, have a feudal system, give the Oday a seat in a "House of Lords", but the Oday aren't getting the seats, their seats are going to the aforementioned warlords. Qabiil is going to have enough of an effect already, one doesn't have to actually institutionalize it.
Now finally Somalia is trying a new thing, instead of giving power to the most powerful warlords who refuse to stop fighting with each other, let's give power to the most powerful sheikhs who refuse to stop fighting each other. Now I don't know about you, but I've "seen this movie before". We already have seen the Islamic Mujahideen who drove out the Ethiopian Army split into 5 pieces (al-Shabab, ASWJ-Hawiye, ASWJ-Darood, Xisbul Islaam and ARS-Djibouti) with more splits on the way.
Pretty soon we'll have two dozen increasingly clan-based "Islamic Mujahideen" themed militias rather than the "Wadani Patriot" themed militias of yesteryear.
I propose a simple yet effective solution. Reduce the government to 90 seats, with 1 seat for every 100,000 people (thus carving the country into 90 districts). These districts can pick their representative any way they like, whether it's through a shura council, clan shir, direct election, arm wrestling contest etc, so long as it is not through violence.
Then from a list of all the Oday in Somalia, the oldest Oday in Somalia deemed fit to serve then serves a one-year term as Ugaas of Somalia (after which time a new Ugaas is chosen) a completely ceremonial position for meeting foreign dignitaries, opening parliament, and playing host to foreign guests in Villa Somalia. All power, decision making abilities, etc is invested entirely in this 90 seat parliament with no president or prime minister, so there's no top seat to fight over. The Ugaas of Somalia will vote to break a tie though.
