EDITORIAL | Somalia’s political stage remains unsettled, with no clear national agreement on the process that will produce the country’s next president. Constitutional disputes, arguments over the electoral model, and friction between the Federal Government and several Federal Member States continue to shape the debate.
It is in that climate that former Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has declared his intention to run for President of Somalia.
The announcement prompts an unavoidable question:
Which election is Omar Abdirashid actually entering?
Somalia has yet to settle on an electoral formula, and no broadly accepted road map exists for the next transfer of power.
Omar Abdirashid is among the country’s most familiar political names. He has served two terms as prime minister and was also a presidential contender in the 2017 race, which Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo went on to win.
Over the years, he has built a career that includes diplomacy and work with international organizations, credentials his allies say position him as a seasoned national figure.
His ties to Puntland State politics, however, have long been a subject of discussion.
Although he comes from Puntland State, critics argue that he has not played a significant role in the region’s political or social life, instead concentrating on the national arena in Mogadishu. They say he often draws on his Puntland State identity for relevance in federal politics and media coverage rather than through deeper, sustained engagement in the region itself.
His political relationship with Puntland State President Said Abdullahi Deni has also grown more strained in recent years. Deni first became president of Puntland State in 2019 and secured a second term in January 2024.
The two men have previously crossed paths in Somalia’s presidential contests. Neither emerged victorious, but observers say the rivalry sharpened during that period. Since Deni took office in Puntland State in 2019 and later won re-election in 2024, Omar Abdirashid has regularly sided with politicians critical of the Puntland State leadership, even though both men come from the same local community.
In a recent interview with local media, Omar Abdirashid confirmed that he intends to seek the presidency. But he gave no indication of the electoral system under which he plans to compete.
That leaves the country with the same question at the center of its political paralysis:
What type of election will Somalia actually hold?
Without consensus on the Constitution, the voting system, and a political deal acceptable to the key players, presidential declarations amount to little more than political signaling. They do not yet amount to a real campaign built on an agreed democratic process.
In any democracy, the rules come first. The candidates come later.
For Somalia, the most basic issue still remains unanswered before slogans and candidacies can carry real weight:
How will the next president be chosen?
Until that is settled, every new presidential bid will likely create more uncertainty than clarity.
— AXADLETM Editorial
