Mogadishu (AX) — Somali federal lawmakers have rejected the country’s proposed 2027 election calendar, calling on opposition groups to hold an emergency meeting and create an alternative roadmap overseen by a new committee.
The lawmakers, who identify themselves as the Independent Federal Parliament, said in a statement Friday that the schedule announced by the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) was unacceptable. They accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of advancing a unilateral electoral process that risked widening Somalia’s political divisions.
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The group said the country was already facing a deepening political crisis, citing disputes over the Constitution, the exclusion of Puntland State and Jubaland from the federal electoral process, insecurity and the continuing conflict in South West State.
“It is deeply regrettable that, at a time when Somali politics is fractured, with Puntland State and Jubaland absent, no agreed-upon constitution or electoral process in place, the Khawarij positioned just 24 km from Mogadishu, and ongoing conflict in the Southwest, the former president has chosen to take unilateral actions,” the lawmakers said, using the government’s term for al-Shabab militants.
They further alleged that the federal government was aggravating tensions in Hirshabelle by pursuing a contested electoral process in the state.
According to the lawmakers, the timetable was designed to derail talks supported by international partners seeking agreement on a national electoral framework.
“It is clear that the sole objective behind the former president’s announcement of his own electoral schedule is to sabotage and disrupt the long-standing negotiations, facilitated by the international community,” the statement said.
The group urged the Somali Future Council, an opposition coalition, along with other political stakeholders, to meet urgently and agree on an inclusive election timetable. It also called for the formation of a committee to administer the proposed process.
The lawmakers issued their statement a day after NIEBC Chairperson Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan announced that elections for both chambers of Somalia’s Federal Parliament would be held on April 15, 2027. A presidential vote would follow on May 15.
The commission said registration for political parties and voters would take place from Nov. 1 to 22, 2026, with candidate lists required by Nov. 22.
