MOGADISHU, Somalia –Amid growing political tensions over Somalia’s new electoral proposals for one-person, one-vote method, Federal MP Ali Said Faqi has raised concerns about the recent political actions by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
In a post on his social media platform, MP Fiqi voiced his alarm over president Mohamud’s promises to engage in talks to resolve his political rift with Puntland and Jubaland states while advancing his electoral proposals without any consultation with both regions.
He also accused President Mohamud of lacking the constitutional authority to extend the terms of regional states by one year and that he could not dictate the country’s electoral process unilaterally.
The current constitutional crisis, he said, was caused by President Mohamud, whose actions he described as an obstacle to the country’s efforts to shift from indirect elections to a more inclusive one-person-one-vote system.
“Somalia’s federal system is in a precarious position, as the Federal Government in Mogadishu is increasingly excluding regional state leaders from the decision-making process. Such a unilateral move could result in territorial disintegration and reduce federalism to a mere formality,” he added.
In his address to the parliament on Saturday, President Mohamud pointed out the need for popular election system and addressed external threats to Somalia’s sovereignty. However, MP Faqi questioned how President Mohamud plans to resolve his dispute with Puntland and Jubaland, which skipped the election talks in Mogadishu.
He also called for tripartite talks between the federal government, Puntland, and Jubaland to resolve their row on elections; if not, he said, Somalia risks descending into political turmoil and uncertainty.
Despite calls for political inclusion, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud appears determined to proceed with the one-person, one-vote system. There are rising fears that this move could undermine genuine democratic reform and lead to political uncertainty and chaos in Somalia.
