MOGADISHU, Somalia — A major opposition meeting opened Tuesday night in the capital as political tensions over Somalia’s electoral process intensified, with participants warning that the country is not ready to hold one-person, one-vote polls within the current government’s term.
Leaders of the Madasha Samatabixinta Soomaaliyeed, an opposition coalition, convened the forum at the Jazeera Hotel in Mogadishu to air grievances about the federal government’s handling of the electoral framework and to gather public input ahead of a larger conference planned in Kismayo, the capital of Jubaland.
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- Opposition figures say Somalia lacks the security and institutional capacity for universal suffrage in the coming months.
- The forum drew politicians, civil society, business leaders, women’s groups and internally displaced people aligned with the coalition.
- Organizers aim to compile public views for an opposition conference expected in Kismayo.
Hassan Ali Khaire, the former prime minister, told attendees that rushing toward direct elections without consensus and preparation risks deepening the political crisis. He accused the federal government of undermining constitutional provisions tied to the electoral calendar.
“One person, one vote elections are a national aspiration that require thorough preparation and hard work, but the country’s leaders have turned it into a tactic to justify an unacceptable term extension,” Khaire said.
The coalition’s gathering underscores a widening rift between opposition groups and federal authorities over the scope and sequencing of electoral reforms. Organizers said the Mogadishu forum is the first in a series of consultations intended to consolidate the opposition’s position before it presents proposals at the planned Kismayo meeting.
Somalia has grappled for years with contentious debates over election models, constitutional interpretation and the distribution of powers between federal and regional leaders. Those disputes, layered onto insecurity and economic fragility, have repeatedly threatened timelines and fueled mistrust among political actors.
Participants at the Mogadishu event framed the issue less as a rejection of universal suffrage than as a challenge of timing and capacity. Speakers argued that moving to one-person, one-vote requires a credible legal framework, broad political buy-in, reliable voter registration, and security conditions that allow polling across the country — standards they say have not been met.
Beyond the technical questions, opposition figures warned that the absence of a unified roadmap risks hardening divides among federal and regional stakeholders. Community leaders from women’s groups, business associations and camps for internally displaced people urged political leaders to avoid steps that could trigger further delays or instability.
The forum’s organizers said they will gather written submissions and testimonies from attendees and use them to shape recommendations on the electoral process. They did not disclose a date for the Kismayo conference but described it as a “broader opposition conference” that would include delegates from multiple regions.
While opposition leaders on Tuesday night cast the debate as a defense of constitutional order and political consensus, the federal government was not immediately represented at the event. The coalition said it would continue to press for consultations that include federal and regional administrators, political parties, and civil society to guard against unilateral decisions on the electoral timeline.
For now, the opening of the Mogadishu forum signals the opposition’s intent to organize publicly and to challenge the pace and oversight of Somalia’s electoral transition. With the calendar narrowing and rhetoric hardening, the stakes — for both governance and stability — are set to rise ahead of the next phase in Kismayo.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
