Somali opposition leaders meet in Mogadishu to discuss alternative electoral model
Somali opposition leaders meet in Mogadishu to discuss alternative electoral model MOGADISHU — Somali opposition leaders have convened in Mogadishu to weigh a proposed indirect voting system, a move that would steer the country away from both the...
Somali opposition leaders meet in Mogadishu to discuss alternative electoral model
MOGADISHU — Somali opposition leaders have convened in Mogadishu to weigh a proposed indirect voting system, a move that would steer the country away from both the 2022 electoral arrangement and the “one person, one vote” model championed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.
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People familiar with the talks said the opposition is working to shape a compromise electoral formula that could later be put before international mediators involved in efforts to build consensus among Somali political actors.
The meetings come as outside partners step up pressure on Somali leaders to settle on a firm electoral roadmap before the president’s mandate ends on May 15.
Backers of the proposal say it reflects mounting doubts among opposition figures about whether nationwide universal suffrage can realistically be held in the near term, along with frustration over the clan-based indirect process used in 2022.
According to the sources, the opposition is seeking an arrangement that could command wider political support and help prevent a constitutional or political standoff.
The federal government has not responded publicly. President Mohamud has repeatedly said he supports Somalia’s transition to a one-person, one-vote system, arguing that it is vital to the country’s democratic development.
AXADLETM