Somalia: President says he will not back down from one-person, one-vote elections

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has reaffirmed that he will not retreat from his position on implementing one-person, one-vote elections, despite mounting domestic and international pressure over the proposed electoral process being prepared by Villa Somalia.

Speaking during a meeting with traditional elders at the presidential palace in Mogadishu, Hassan Sheikh said Somalia must move forward and would not return to what he described as indirect and clan-based elections that have dominated the country’s political system for decades.

“We can never abandon the Somali people’s constitutional right to choose the leader they want after 57 years,” the president said. “The incomplete elections that have taken place in the country left us with many problems, with insecurity being the foremost.”

The president argued that previous indirect elections had contributed to prolonged political disputes and instability, and said direct elections were necessary to strengthen governance and restore public trust in state institutions.

However, many of the traditional elders who attended the event urged Hassan Sheikh to reconsider his approach, warning against imposing unilateral decisions on the country’s electoral future.

Several elders reportedly told the president that leadership should be based on a broad national consensus and said they would not accept actions they believe contradict principles rejected under the previous administration.

The debate over Somalia’s electoral model has intensified in recent months, with opposition figures and some regional leaders expressing concern over the feasibility and inclusiveness of a universal suffrage vote amid ongoing security and political challenges.

GAROWE ONLINE