Friday May 16, 2025

Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday accused opposition politicians, lawmakers, regional leaders, and former heads of state of obstructing the country’s transition to a one-person, one-vote electoral system, warning that reverting to indirect elections could lead to renewed instability.

The president’s remarks came during a Somali Youth Day celebration in Mogadishu, where he defended his administration’s electoral reforms and urged political rivals to offer policy alternatives rather than “spreading confusion” among the public.

“The Somali people now hold the power,” Hassan said. “The era of political elites handpicking the nation’s future behind closed doors is over.”

He said voter registration had officially begun in the capital, with electoral frameworks and legislation already underway to facilitate direct elections. He described the move as essential to Somalia’s democratic development, following decades of clan-based voting where lawmakers were selected by indirect consensus.

In the most significant move yet, 103 members of Somalia’s bicameral Federal Parliament on Thursday issued a joint statement calling on the president to resign. The lawmakers accused Hassan Sheikh of abandoning his constitutional duties, dismantling the National Consultative Council (NCC), interfering in federal member states such as Puntland and Jubbaland, and using state resources to support a partisan political agenda.

They also cited his failure to follow through on a March 29 pledge to convene a national dialogue, instead alleging that his administration has adopted a divisive approach that threatens national unity.

Without naming individuals, President Mohamud criticized some opposition leaders’ remarks that questioned the military’s capacity to fight Al-Shabaab. “A politician who says a battalion can’t fight—what is he really saying? Is he defending Al-Shabaab? Is he trying to alarm the public that Mogadishu will fall? We don’t understand his intent,” he said.

He warned that returning to indirect elections could destabilize the political process.

“Last time, members of parliament were chosen in two hours and stuffed into people’s pockets,” Hassan said. “Even those who picked them didn’t benefit. Why would we do that again? If we do, this time it may cost lives.”

The formation of the JSP, officially launched this week in Mogadishu with President Hassan Sheikh as chairman and presidential candidate, has drawn criticism from a wide range of actors. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama, First Deputy Speaker Sadia Yasin, and Southwest President Abdiaziz Laftagareen were named as vice chairpersons of the party, while former Interior Minister Abdirahman Odowaa was appointed secretary-general.

Critics argue that the creation of the party blurs the line between state and party, especially as many of its leaders currently hold public office. The move has fueled accusations that public institutions are being repurposed for political gain ahead of the country’s planned transition to universal suffrage.

Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni dismissed the JSP as a “rebranded extension” of the 4.5 clan-based power-sharing system, warning that it undermines the country’s federal framework. He accused the federal government of manipulating the democratic reform agenda while monopolizing power in Mogadishu.

Sixteen prominent Somali political figures, including former presidents Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, and former prime ministers Hassan Ali Khayre, Mohamed Hussein Rooble, Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, and Abdi Farah Shirdon, released a separate joint statement echoing similar concerns. They accused the president of politicizing the NCC, failing to maintain neutrality, and deepening political fragmentation.

“The country is facing an unprecedented political crisis,” the group said. “Instead of uniting stakeholders to address constitutional and security challenges, the president is using state power to promote partisan interests.”

Former President Farmaajo went further, accusing the president of violating several provisions of Somalia’s provisional constitution, including articles that safeguard institutional neutrality and federal autonomy. He claimed that the president’s use of state media, national security forces, and civil servants to promote the JSP amounted to a breach of public trust and democratic norms.

President Mohamud stressed that finalizing the country’s provisional constitution was critical to bolstering national unity and democratic governance. He praised the constitutional committees for their ongoing work and said completing the document would create a durable framework for Somalia’s future.

Despite the mounting criticism across the political spectrum, the federal government has pledged to deliver universal suffrage elections as part of its broader reform agenda. However, the path forward remains fraught with political friction and security threats from Al-Shabaab, which continues to carry out deadly attacks across the country.