Somali government rules out return to indirect elections in talks with international partners

MOGADISHU, July 8, 2025 – Somalia’s federal government has ruled out any return to indirect voting, reaffirming its commitment to a one-person, one-vote electoral model during talks with the C6+ group of international partners, diplomatic sources told Garowe Online.

Three-member ministerial team appointed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to lead negotiations with the Opposition Forum met with representatives of the C6+ — which includes the United Nations, African Union, European Union, United States, United Kingdom, and IGAD — in a closed-door session in Mogadishu earlier this week.

According to sources briefed on the meeting, the interior,  justice, and education ministers - Ali Hoosh, Hassan Moalim, and Farah Abdulkadir, respectively underscored that constitutional amendments fall squarely within the government’s mandate and dismissed calls to revisit the clan-based indirect voting system used in previous elections.

The discussions came amid heightened political tension, following a separate meeting on July 5 at Mogadishu’s Halane base camp between the international community and the Opposition Forum, a coalition of politicians and former leaders critical of the government's electoral roadmap.

International partners have maintained public silence so far, with no formal statement issued in response to either meeting. Diplomats familiar with the process say the C6+ is closely watching the situation, but has not signaled any change in its position or mediation efforts.

The standoff reflects deeper divisions over Somalia’s political future, with the government pushing ahead with electoral reforms as part of its broader agenda to consolidate federal institutions. Opposition leaders, however, have warned that bypassing consensus on constitutional changes could risk destabilizing the fragile political balance.

Somalia has long relied on indirect elections, where clan elders select lawmakers, but President Mohamud has vowed to move toward a direct vote system while his administration does not control much of the country and is facing political disputes with some Federal States and the Al-Shabaab threat.

GAROWE ONLINE