Friday October 16, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — A group of Somali federal lawmakers calling themselves the Independent Federal Parliament has urged the Somali Future Council and other opposition groups to convene an emergency meeting to establish an alternative election timetable and appoint a committee to oversee the process.
In a statement Friday, the lawmakers rejected the 2027 parliamentary and presidential election schedule announced by the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), accusing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of pursuing a unilateral electoral process that could deepen political divisions.
advertisements
The group said Somalia was facing a political crisis marked by disagreements over the Constitution, the absence of Puntland and Jubaland from the federal electoral process, insecurity and continuing conflict in South West State.
“It is deeply regrettable that, at a time when Somali politics is fractured, with Puntland and Jubaland absent, no agreed-upon constitution or electoral process in place, the Khawarij positioned just 24 km from Mogadishu, and ongoing conflict in the Southwest, the former president has chosen to take unilateral actions,” the lawmakers said, using the government's term for al-Shabab militants.
They also accused the federal government of fueling political divisions in Hirshabelle through a disputed electoral process.
The lawmakers alleged that the election timetable was intended to undermine negotiations facilitated by international partners aimed at reaching a consensus on the country's electoral framework.
“It is clear that the sole objective behind the former president’s announcement of his own electoral schedule is to sabotage and disrupt the long-standing negotiations, facilitated by the international community,” the statement said.
The group called on the Somali Future Council, an opposition coalition, and other political stakeholders to urgently agree on an inclusive electoral timetable and establish a committee responsible for managing the proposed process.
The statement followed Thursday’s announcement by NIEBC Chairperson Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan that elections for both chambers of Somalia’s Federal Parliament would take place on April 15, 2027, followed by a presidential election on May 15.
The commission also announced that political party and voter registration would run from Nov. 1 to 22, 2026, with candidate lists due Nov. 22.