MOGADISHU, Somalia,– Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is pushing for a controversial “one person, one vote” electoral system, signaling an end to the decades-long indirect election method.
On Saturday, both the Lower and Upper Houses of Somalia’s Parliament unanimously agreed to extend their sessions for one more month before going on their annual recess at the request of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, allowing him to present his proposals for popular elections.
In his address to the joint session, President Mohamud reiterated his commitment to adopting one-person, one-vote elections, which he said truly reflect each citizen’s vote. “No one has the authority to hold the people into an indirect system,” he added.
After month-long talks in Mogadishu, President Mohamud, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, and regional leaders have agreed to reschedule local elections for June 2025, followed by regional parliamentary elections in September 2025. The original schedule had set local elections for June 2024 and parliamentary elections for November 2024.
In conjunction with his electoral proposals, President Mohamud has given three regional state leaders—Abdiaziz Mohamed Laftagreen of Southwest, Ali Hussein Gudlawe of Hirshabelle, and Ahmed Karie Qor-Qor of Galmudug — whose mandate ended, one more year to prepare for direct elections.
Among the states that received the one-year extension is Jubaland, and its leader, Ahmed Madobe, who attended the election talks in Mogadishu, declined the proposals for such elections, citing the need for extended terms. He walked out of the meeting and flew back to Kismayo before a consensus on the elections could be reached.
Among the states that received the one-year extension is Jubaland, and its leader, Ahmed Madobe, who attended the election talks in Mogadishu, rejected the proposals for such elections, citing the need for extended terms. He walked out of the meeting and flew back to Kismayo before a consensus on the elections could be reached.
Madobe now plans to hold an indirect leadership election for Jubaland this month, a move seen as a major blow to President Mohamud’s efforts for one-person, one-vote elections. He also secured support for his decision from his counterpart in Puntland, Said Deni, who has a political rift with President Mohamud. As a result, Deni chose to skip the election talks and any subsequent outcomes.
However, Jubaland and Puntland—two critical regional states for the success of the new electoral plan—have expressed their rejection of these proposals. Both regions had previously opposed similar electoral reforms suggested by then-President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, which many political analysts believed had contributed to his political downfall.
Despite President Mohamud’s model aiming to empower citizens and create a more transparent voting system, similar electoral reforms proposed by his predecessor, Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, in 2021 were rejected, sparking political chaos and resulting in a return to indirect elections.
His push for popular elections has drawn criticism. Federal MP Abdirashid Jiley said President Mohamud was re-elected on May 15, 2022, through the indirect election system he had previously supported. He added that it is impossible for Somalia to implement direct elections, but President Mohamud is now doing everything in his power to hold such an election.
He also said that half of the country is still under Al Shabab control, two regional states rejected the proposal, and with accurate public consensus out of reach, it raises the question of how one-person, one-vote elections can take place in Somalia.
On Wednesday, leading members of the opposition denounced as “unconstitutional” the one-year extension given to regional states to prepare for popular elections. They also warned that such a reckless decision could plunge Somalia into political unrest, according to a statement seen by Mareeg Online.
“We want to make it clear to the Somali people and the international community that we will never accept any form of term extension,” they stated.
Analysts warn that the model championed by President Mohamud could derail the upcoming elections and potentially set the stage for a term extension. They highlight that during his time in opposition, he consistently protested against Farmaajo’s attempts to hold direct elections.
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.
