Abdirahman Abdishakur calls for independent body to manage Somalia elections

Saturday July 25, 2026

Mogadishu (HOL) — Wadajir Party leader Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame said Friday that Somalia’s electoral dispute can only be resolved through an independent election management body agreed upon by all political stakeholders.

Abdirahman said electoral management should be separated from the federal government, federal member states and political parties, arguing that a neutral body is needed to oversee the process.

He said he does not support placing election management solely under the federal government or the states.

“The federal government, federal member states, opposition groups and outgoing administrations should jointly agree on a credible process,” he noted.

Abdirahman emphasized that while Somalia still uses the 4.5 power-sharing system, parliamentary seats remain tied to clans. However, he said voting should be open to all citizens living in the area where a seat is located, rather than being decided by delegates or committees influenced by the ruling administration.

“The electoral commission should be independent and manage voter registration, electoral procedures, vote counting and announcement of results, without political interference,” he said.

Abdirahman also criticized the way some parliamentary seat elections in federal member states have been conducted, arguing that some outcomes appeared to be known in advance, undermining real competition.

His comments come as a second round of Somalia’s electoral talks resumed in Mogadishu on Monday, with the federal government and opposition groups seeking consensus on elections and disputed constitutional amendments.

The talks, organized by Turkey, were attended by representatives of the federal government, the Somali Salvation Forum and Nabad iyo Nolol, as well as delegates from Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United Nations.

Sources said the meetings were held separately, with each opposition group and federal government representatives meeting mediators on their own.

The first round of talks focused on each side submitting its preferred electoral model, while the second round is focused on discussing and comparing those models.

Four electoral models have been submitted to the mediators, according to sources familiar with the process.

No agreement has been reached, and the management of the electoral process remains one of the main points of dispute.