Somalia’s main opposition denounces Mogadishu council elections as neither free nor fair

Somali opposition denounces Banadir council vote as one-party exercise

Somali Salvation Forum says Thursday’s Mogadishu election lacks constitutional basis, warns of unrest

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s main opposition coalition, the Somali Salvation Forum, has condemned the Banadir Regional Council elections scheduled for Thursday in Mogadishu, calling the process neither free nor fair and accusing the government of engineering a one-sided contest.

At a press conference in Mogadishu, former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire said the planned vote lacks constitutional grounding and fails basic democratic tests. He argued that what was billed as a competitive process has narrowed sharply, citing the collapse in the number of participants since registration opened.

Khaire said 61 political organizations initially registered to take part, but fewer than 20 remain, claiming many groups withdrew after concluding the process was structured to benefit a single political camp. “Anyone who attempted to participate in good faith has realized that this is not an open competition, but a one-party system,” he said, adding that “those who speak out or tell the truth face repression and arrest.”

The former prime minister also accused the Somali Electoral Commission of lacking independence, alleging it serves the presidency’s interests rather than acting as a neutral referee. The coalition framed the commission’s role as central to what it called a manufactured outcome.

Former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who addressed the same news conference, said Mogadishu’s status as the national capital requires broad political consensus and should not be subjected to what he described as a “scam election” imposed without dialogue. He argued that a credible vote in the city can only proceed when stakeholders with differing political views agree on the rules and sequence.

Sheikh Sharif warned that pushing ahead without broad agreement risks deepening tensions. “This election could lead to political conflict, social divisions, and clan-based disputes, with results that many will not accept,” he said. He added that time, resources and political energy now devoted to the Banadir poll would have been better spent on priorities that serve the wider national interest.

In a joint statement, the opposition leaders said the process underway in Mogadishu does not constitute a legitimate election, alleging it is tied to an unconstitutional extension of political mandates. They pointed to Somalia’s constitution, which they said clearly limits government terms to four years, and reiterated that any form of term extension is unacceptable.

The Somali Salvation Forum’s intervention heightens scrutiny on the Banadir Regional Council vote, a contest seen by the opposition as a test of whether Somalia’s political institutions can manage a competitive process in the capital. The coalition’s claims center on the shrinking field of contenders, the role of the electoral commission and the charge that authorities are closing off space for dissent.

As of Wednesday, the government and election authorities had not responded publicly to the specific allegations made by the opposition leaders at the Mogadishu news conference. The election is scheduled to proceed Thursday.

The Somali Salvation Forum includes several heavyweight figures from the country’s recent political history. Khaire, who served as prime minister from 2017 to 2020, and Sheikh Sharif, who served as president from 2009 to 2012, both argued that only an inclusive, agreed framework can deliver results the public will accept in Mogadishu. Without that, they said, the contest risks inflaming grievances at a delicate moment for the capital and the country.

By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.

Wednesday December 24, 2025