Somalia: President registers as voter amid growing rift over 2026 electoral process  

MOGADISHU, Aug 12, 2025 – Political tensions in Somalia are escalating after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud officially registered as a voter for the country’s planned 2026 one-person, one-vote elections — a symbolic move underscoring his administration’s commitment to shifting away from the clan-based 4.5 electoral model.

President Mohamud, who also chairs the ruling Justice and Prosperity Party (JSP), has been a vocal proponent of direct elections, repeatedly stating that the current system has "run its course" and that Somalis deserve the right to elect their leaders through a democratic and inclusive process.

“This is a turning point for Somalia,” he said during the registration ceremony. “Every Somali citizen must be allowed to choose their leaders.”

However, the move comes a day before a scheduled meeting between the National Salvation Council and the President.

Reports say the council has convened an emergency meeting to discuss the new developments. They have been urging the President to reverse what they call the unlawful amendment to Chapter 4 of Somalia’s Constitution.

This also happened amid deepening disputes over how the elections should be conducted. Opposition parties, along with the federal member states of Puntland and Jubaland, have rejected the current roadmap, accusing the federal government and the ruling party of trying to dominate the process and undermine its transparency.

Critics argue that Somalia lacks the necessary security, infrastructure, and political consensus to hold direct elections by 2026. They also warn that attempts to push forward without agreement could destabilize the fragile political landscape.

In recent weeks, President Mohamud has held a series of meetings with opposition leaders to try to bridge the gap, with another round of talks expected tomorrow. According to political insiders, the upcoming meeting may be decisive in determining the direction of Somalia’s electoral future.

The federal government maintains that the 2026 elections will mark the end of the controversial 4.5 power-sharing formula, which allocates political representation based on clan quotas — a system long criticized as undemocratic and exclusionary.

As the political climate intensifies, all eyes are now on the expected dialogue between the presidency and opposition blocs, which could either pave the way for consensus or deepen Somalia’s political divide.

GAROWE ONLINE