Omar Abdirashid’s Presidential Bid: Which Election Is He Contesting?

EDITORIAL | Somalia today remains mired in political uncertainty, with no national consensus on how the country’s next president will be elected. Disputes over constitutional amendments, the electoral framework, and disagreements between the Federal Government and several Federal Member States continue to dominate the political landscape.

Against this backdrop, former Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has announced that he is running for President of Somalia.

His announcement immediately raises one simple question:

What election is Omar Abdirashid running for?

To date, Somalia has neither agreed on an electoral model nor established a nationally accepted political roadmap for the next transfer of power.

Omar Abdirashid is one of Somalia’s longest-serving political figures. He served twice as Prime Minister and was also among the presidential candidates in the 2017 election, which was ultimately won by Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo.

Throughout his political career, he has worked extensively in diplomacy and with international organizations, experience that his supporters argue makes him well-qualified for national politics.

His relationship with Puntland politics, however, has generated considerable debate.

Although he hails from Puntland, many argue that he has played only a limited role in the region’s political and social development, focusing instead on national politics in Mogadishu. Critics contend that he primarily invokes his Puntland background to maintain visibility in federal politics and the national media rather than through sustained engagement inside Puntland itself.

His political differences with Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni have also become increasingly apparent in recent years. Deni was first elected President of Puntland in 2019 and won a second term in January 2024.

The two politicians previously competed for Somalia’s presidency. Although neither won that contest, political observers believe their differences became more pronounced during that period. Since Deni assumed the Puntland presidency in 2019 and secured re-election in 2024, Omar Abdirashid has consistently aligned himself with political figures critical of the Puntland administration, despite the fact that both leaders come from the same local community.

More recently, Omar Abdirashid confirmed in an interview with local media that he intends to contest the presidency. Yet he did not explain under which electoral framework he plans to run.

That omission brings Somalia back to the central question confronting the country today:

What kind of election will Somalia hold?

Until there is agreement on the Constitution, the electoral system, and a political settlement accepted by all major stakeholders, declarations of presidential candidacy may serve as political messaging, but they cannot constitute a genuine election campaign built on an agreed democratic process.

In every democracy, the rules of the election come first. Candidates come afterwards.

Somalia still has to answer the most fundamental question before campaign slogans and presidential ambitions can carry real political meaning:

How will the next president actually be elected?

Until that question is resolved, every new presidential bid is likely to raise more questions than answers.

— GAROWE ONLINE Editorial