Somali Future Council warns election delays could trigger constitutional crisis

Wednesday April 15, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — With Somalia already navigating deep political strains, the Somali Future Council on Tuesday raised the alarm over delays in the next round of national elections, accusing top government officials of abandoning constitutional deadlines and risking a wider crisis.

In a statement, the council said the country’s Provisional Constitution is explicit: the mandates of federal institutions expired on April 14, 2026. Without an election process that follows constitutional requirements, it warned, Somalia could slide into a period of political uncertainty and instability.

The group directly criticized President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, accusing him of failing to organize timely elections and seeking to postpone them without a broad political consensus.

“The president’s term ends on May 15, 2026, and after that date he will not have the legitimacy to remain in office unless an agreed-upon election is held,” the statement said.

The Somali Future Council urged citizens to defend the constitution and reject any move it said could amount to an illegitimate extension of power or the creation of an unconstitutional interim administration. It also called on the international community to keep a close watch on Somalia’s political trajectory and back free, fair and inclusive elections grounded in broad political agreement.

The warning lands against a backdrop of rising tensions after federal parliament approved constitutional amendments before its own term ended. Those changes extend the mandates of federal institutions, including the presidency, from four years to five.

But Puntland State and Jubbaland, together with several opposition groups, have rejected the amendments, arguing that they were passed without the national consensus required and run counter to the spirit of the Provisional Constitution.

The Somali Future Council said Somalia’s stability and future hinge on respect for constitutional deadlines, credible elections and inclusive dialogue among all political stakeholders.