Friday October 16, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali opposition lawmaker Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame has rejected the electoral commission’s newly announced timetable for the 2027 parliamentary and presidential elections, warning that proceeding without a broad political agreement could deepen divisions and trigger renewed conflict.
Abdirahman Abdishakur, leader of the Wadajir political party, said Thursday that the decision undermines efforts to reach a political consensus at a time when Somalia faces security, economic and humanitarian challenges.
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In a Facebook post, he warned that the electoral dispute could further destabilize a country already grappling with armed conflict, terrorism, hunger and poverty, as well as the threat of flooding and shifting regional geopolitical dynamics.
The lawmaker accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of failing to adequately consider the challenges facing the country and warned that proceeding with the announced timetable could lead to rival claims over the legitimacy of Somalia’s leadership.
He said that despite serious political disagreements over the past 15 years, Somalia had avoided competing claims over who held the presidency, warning that the current dispute could threaten the foundations of the state.
Abdirahman Abdishakur urged Hassan Sheikh to avoid decisions that could return Somalia to the political fragmentation and conflict of the 1990s.
“The dispute could be resolved through dialogue and an electoral agreement accepted by the country’s major political stakeholders,” he noted.
The opposition lawmaker also warned of the political and historical consequences of pursuing an electoral process without broad consensus, calling on the president to prioritize national unity and negotiations.
His remarks came hours after Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, chairperson of the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), announced that elections for both chambers of Somalia’s Federal Parliament would be held on April 15, 2027, followed by a presidential election on May 15.
The commission said the timetable was established under the country's constitutional and electoral laws.
The announcement comes amid continuing disagreements between the federal government, opposition groups and some federal member states over the electoral framework and the mandates of national institutions.
Puntland, Jubbaland and several opposition groups have rejected the revised Constitution, maintaining that the 2012 provisional Constitution should remain the legal basis for Somalia’s political process.
Efforts to resolve the dispute through negotiations have yet to produce an agreement acceptable to all sides, raising questions about whether the announced elections can proceed with broad political participation.