Somalia President Says He Will Not Back Down on One-Person, One-Vote Elections

MOGADISHU, Somalia — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has doubled down on his push for one-person, one-vote elections, saying he will not abandon the plan despite growing pressure from critics at home and abroad over the electoral model being prepared by Villa Somalia.

Addressing traditional elders at the presidential palace in Mogadishu, Hassan Sheikh insisted Somalia must press ahead with political reform and reject the indirect, clan-based voting system that has shaped the country’s politics for decades.

“We can never abandon the Somali people’s constitutional right to choose the leader they want after 57 years,” the president said. “The incomplete elections that have taken place in the country left us with many problems, with insecurity being the foremost.”

He said the repeated use of indirect elections had fueled political deadlock and instability, arguing that direct voting would help improve governance and rebuild confidence in state institutions.

But the message did not land without pushback. A number of the elders present urged Hassan Sheikh to rethink his stance, cautioning against what they described as unilateral decisions on the country’s electoral future.

According to reports from the meeting, several elders told the president that any leadership change should rest on broad national consensus and said they would not accept moves they believe run counter to principles rejected under the previous administration.

Somalia’s electoral debate has sharpened in recent months as opposition politicians and some regional leaders question whether a universal suffrage vote can be carried out fairly and securely in the face of persistent political tensions and ongoing security concerns.

AXADLETM