Somali president discusses election dispute with international partners

MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met international partners on Tuesday to discuss the political tensions surrounding the country's electoral process, amid efforts to resolve a widening dispute between the government and the opposition.

The meeting came a day after the international representatives held talks with opposition leaders on ways to ease the election standoff and encourage political consensus.

According to officials familiar with the discussions, Mohamud briefed the diplomats on the federal government's electoral agenda, which centres on implementing nationwide direct elections under the one-person, one-vote system.

The government has insisted that future members of parliament should be elected through universal suffrage, replacing the current legislature selected under Somalia's indirect electoral model.

The opposition has called for broader political consensus on the electoral framework, arguing that unresolved disagreements could deepen the country's political crisis.

The latest diplomatic engagements underscore growing international efforts to encourage dialogue between Somalia's political stakeholders as the country seeks agreement on its electoral roadmap.

GAROWE ONLINE