Somalia stakeholders table three proposals to resolve political impasse

Farmaajo’s team, led by Former Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdirizak, opted for a One-Person, One-Vote (OPOV) as the most desirable scheme to lift Somalia out of political mayhem.

The group under Farmaajo-chaired political organisation known as Nabad & Nolol (peace and life) picked the electoral model as first proposed in 2018 when Farmaajo was stead head of state.

Abdirizak met with the group of diplomats known as the ‘quartet’ representing United States, United Kingdom, the United Nations and European Union plus Türkiye. He outlined 10 points to stress the usefulness of the proposed framework.

“Nabad & Nolol proposes an easily understandable electoral model that can be trusted with transparent procedure, hardly generating disputes,” Abdirizak stated.

“The electoral procedures and modus operandi are in the law approved by the parliament in 2018,” he added, indicating that the current government of Mohamud borrowed a leaf from that document, proposing OPOV via registered political organisations. Once contenders compete under their political organisations for legislative elections, the movements with largest legislators become political parties eligible to front candidates for presidential polls.

Ahead of Farmaajo’s team, the mediating diplomats had assimilated a presentation by a team representing the Somali Future Council (SFC) lead by Abdirahman Abdishakur, a lawmaker.

Announced few weeks ago, the SFC’s proposed model disregards elections via political parties. Instead, it wants elections performed by biometrically registered voters, casting paper ballots at clan-based seat constituency.

The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) team led by Deputy Prime Minister Salah Jama presented its electoral framework, using recent trials as successful.

The team claimed that the OPOV has been successful in district elections in Mogadishu in December 2025 and in Southwest State in May/June 2026.

Though many political actors refused to participate in the FGS’s electoral process, the government acted in belief that it is the most suitable and went ahead to explain its benefits to the diplomats at Dekale Hotel inside Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport. The FGS wants direct votes for lawmakers who in turn elect the President.

The talks on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday did not provide a solution, but they at least showed each party is willing to agree on elections as a way out of the legitimacy questions.

The question though is how foreign mediators can bridge a trust deficit both of which they face from the Somali public and between negotiating parties.

Somalia’s parliament passed constitutional amendments in March, extending their term, and that of president by a year, to turn four-year terms into five-year ones. Opponents said the changes were unilateral, and little consultations happened.

Türkiye’s lead role in the mediation was put in question after Jubaland and Puntland states indicated that Ankara could not be trusted as impartial mediator, for keeping close ties with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Mohamed Ad’ed Ali (Shire), executive director SONSA, the Somali non-State Actors, told The EastAfrican that dialogue should continue to avoid bad decisions.

“We urge Somali leaders to avoid any unilateral actions or escalations that could derail peace and stability in the country.”

“We push for civil society participation in the mediation.”