Somalia expects to hold universal elections in 2026

The government of Somalia hopes to hold direct elections in the country in 2026. Accordingly, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Somalia opened a technical advisory committee meeting in Mogadishu to discuss the process of Somalia’s elections in 2026.

This committee is made up of all the member states except Puntland. It will make recommendations for the election models and necessary steps to hold universal suffrage in Somalia in 2026, which the national leaders will discuss at the meeting of the consultation forum that will take place in Mogadishu on February 2023.

Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, the Somali Minister of Internal Affairs, speaking at the conference’s opening, said it is the government’s ambition to have a free and fair election.

“You are required to come up with a clear plan with a holistic approach for the leaders to take an effective decision for the country, that there should be an inclusive election.”

Somalia wants to build a democratic state with multi-parties. Therefore, the parliament ratified the political party law, an electoral law. However, other remaining laws are necessary for a direct election in the country.

Somali President Hassan Shiekh Mohamud recently dissolved the Independent Election Commission, and the government said it would form a new commission.

The country used to have an indirect election based on 4.5 for many years, the clan power-sharing system. Both the president and the current parliament were elected in May last year following an election rift that adjourned it in be timely held. Puntland state said it would deal separately with the government of Somalia.

The last high consultation conference held in Mogadishu on 25-28 December 2022 was stated to establish a technical advisory committee to propose how to implement an international standard election in the country.