Thursday October 15, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo on Thursday rejected the federal electoral commission’s newly announced timetable for 2027 parliamentary and presidential elections, warning that proceeding without a broader political agreement could deepen divisions and produce competing electoral processes.
Farmaajo, who is running under the Nabad iyo Nolol party, accused President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government of pursuing a unilateral electoral process and called for continued negotiations with opposition groups and federal member states.
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“The unilateral electoral process adopted by former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, whose term in office expired in May this year, poses a serious threat to Somalia’s statehood and future,” Farmaajo said in a statement.
He warned that the process “risks paving the way for competing electoral processes and the outbreak of civil conflict across the country.”
The statement came hours after Somalia’s National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) announced that elections for both chambers of the federal parliament would be held on April 15, 2027, followed by a presidential election on May 15.
The commission also scheduled the reopening of political party and voter registration for Nov. 1-22, with candidate lists due Nov. 22. A provisional voter list is due Jan. 21, campaigning is scheduled to begin Feb. 27 and the final voter list is to be published March 15.
The commission said the timetable was based on provisions of the federal Constitution and national electoral law authorizing it to set election dates.
Farmaajo rejected that process, arguing that Somalia’s political future could not be determined through “unilateral decisions or personal ambitions.”
He urged political leaders to continue negotiations and agree on an inclusive electoral framework.
“The outgoing President’s plan to hold elections without a political consensus, and without the participation or agreement of the Federal Member States and the country’s political opposition, reflects his misguided authoritarian approach and disregard for the constitution,” Farmaajo said.
His references to Mohamud as an “outgoing” or former president reflect the opposition’s position that Mohamud’s four-year mandate expired in May 2026.
The federal government rejects that interpretation, arguing that constitutional amendments extending presidential and parliamentary terms to five years allow President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to remain in office until May 2027. The electoral commission’s decision to schedule the presidential election for May 15, 2027, aligns with the government’s position.
The mandate dispute is part of a wider political standoff over constitutional amendments, direct elections and the role of federal member states in determining the electoral system.
Puntland, Jubaland and several opposition groups have rejected key elements of the amended constitutional framework and have called for a negotiated political settlement before federal elections proceed. Opposition figures have also criticized the electoral commission as lacking sufficient political consensus.
Farmaajo urged former national leaders, federal member state presidents and other political actors to coordinate their efforts around what he described as a transparent and inclusive electoral process.
He also appealed to international partners to continue mediation efforts aimed at resolving the dispute.
“We further call on our international partners to play a meaningful and constructive role in resolving the electoral disputes by continuing their mediation efforts,” the statement said.
Talks between the federal government and opposition figures, including discussions supported by international partners, have so far failed to produce a mutually accepted electoral agreement.