Somalia: Hassan Sheikh Turns Down PM Barre’s Resignation Amid Electoral Disputes

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Ambling through a political maze, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia has declined Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre’s offer to resign, according to insiders conversing with Axadle. The two political bigwigs are experiencing difficulties syncing efforts with regional states, especially those severing ties with the central government in Mogadishu.

Jubaland, the latest state to distance itself from the federal administration, locked horns over the electoral blueprint. While Mogadishu favors universal suffrage, Kismayo stands firm on indirect voting, deeming it vital at present.

Insiders hint, without delving into particulars, that Hassan Sheikh likely dismissed Barre’s resignation. The Prime Minister intended to venture to Jubaland’s heart, Kismayo, resisting Jubaland’s lean towards an indirect polling system.

Jubaland refuted President Hassan Sheikh’s direct election proposal, fearing it might spawn unneeded extensions of terms for both federal and regional leaders. Jubaland’s head honcho, Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe, declared his state would not partake in such dealings.

Recent ripples unfurled when 10 Somali Parliamentary Standing Committee members disapproved of Speaker Aaden Madoobe’s endorsed committee by the Presidency to draft fresh election laws for a collective session.

Analysts argue this stance brushes against President Hassan Sheikh’s aspirations for a one-person, one-vote electoral format, as Jubaland veers towards indirect ballots. Hassan Sheikh currently graces the Arab League of Nations assembly in Riyadh.

Nevertheless, Somalia’s governing body has rebuked Jubaland’s quest for direct elections, insisting it jeopardizes unity, state-building efforts, and could imperil national security systems.

The Somali government, in a pronouncement, condemned the maneuver as “unlawful,” underlining that Ahmed Madobe’s tenure ended last August. He remains in power by virtue of an interim accord with the federal and regional states.

Last September witnessed Ahmed Madobe exiting the National Consultative Council gabfest after refuting a proposition from President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The proposal aimed at synchronized regional elections, a federal election body to steer the process, culminating in a one-person, one-vote scheme by late 2025—a plan extending state presidents’ mandates.

Barre, vital to both Hassan Sheikh’s administration and a native Jubaland son, strove to coax Madobe into softening his unyielding position. Results may appear elusive but optimism persists that bridges between Mogadishu and Kismayo can be rebuilt.

Critics carping about Hassan Sheikh’s and Hamsa Abdi Barre’s tenure highlight their deviation from early principles, particularly opposing term elongations during the reign of Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, aka Farmajo.

Hassan Sheikh also faces flak for stumbling in countering Al-Shabaab’s threat, reviving Gen. Yusuf Rage, discharged last year, in hopes of vanquishing Al-Shabaab by 2026’s sunset.

AXADLETM