MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has firmly advocated for a transition to direct elections, declaring in a recent national address that the country has advanced beyond the traditional indirect voting system.
Commitment to ‘One-Person, One-Vote’
During his address, President Mohamud pointed out that multiple prior political agreements clearly define the new electoral process, committee formations, and guiding regulations for the nation. He noted, however, that certain political figures have failed to honor these prior commitments.
“Those advocating for indirect elections are individuals pursuing their own agendas. The public interest is what truly matters,” the president stated.
Referencing over twenty signed agreements that establish the frameworks for direct elections, Mohamud asserted that reverting to the clan-based indirect voting model is highly impractical. He criticized opposing politicians who support systems focused on individual influence rather than established legal institutions, asserting that Somalia’s future cannot be dictated by “the desires of a single individual or a limited faction.”
This firm stance from Villa Somalia follows strong pushback from opposition figures and regional leaders who have previously warned against unilateral changes regarding the national electoral framework.
Domestic Funding and Institutional Trust
President Mohamud stressed that elected officials must accurately represent the people and cannot be selected based on the preferences of select politicians, emphasizing that citizens intrinsically deserve the right to vote directly.
“Indirect elections are a relic of the past; they are no longer relevant,” he declared, calling on all Somalis to place their confidence in the developing governmental institutions.
Furthermore, the president revealed that the ongoing preparations for the one-person, one-vote electoral process have been entirely funded through domestic sources. He clarified that “no foreign currency whatsoever” was utilized to finance the initiative.
In his conclusion, President Mohamud urged the nation to continue moving forward, highlighting that Somalia cannot afford to regress to the administrative stage it experienced following the collapse of the central government in 1991.
