Monday August 10, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s main opposition alliance has rejected the planned election of a new speaker of the House of the People, alleging that government pressure has undermined the contest ahead of Monday’s vote.
At a news conference in Mogadishu on Sunday, Yusuf Hussein Gama’did, secretary-general of the Himilo Qaran Party and a member of the Somali Salvation Forum, said the alliance had received information suggesting that the process was not open to all prospective candidates.
Gama’did alleged that lawmakers seeking to enter the speakership race had been blocked from officially registering their candidacies.
“Members who supported the government announced their candidacy, while others who wanted to compete were called, threatened, and informed that they could not compete or register,” Gama’did said.
The Somali Salvation Forum said it neither recognizes nor supports the election process and warned that it may pursue additional political action depending on the result of Monday’s vote.
MP Hassan Yare, another lawmaker, called the contest a foregone conclusion and accused the federal government of exerting influence over the race for Parliament’s highest leadership post.
The claims come amid heightened political tensions in Somalia, where opposition groups and the federal government remain divided over electoral arrangements, constitutional reforms and the country’s wider political course.
The speakership was left vacant on June 20, when former Speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe resigned after winning election as president of Southwest State.
Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur and Abdulkadir Omar Moallin are the two lawmakers officially competing for the position. Parliament is scheduled to hold the election Monday at the Federal Parliament headquarters in Mogadishu.
The vote is drawing close attention because Parliament is expected to play a central role in Somalia’s continuing political and constitutional debates.
