Former President Hassan Repeats Familiar Script as Somalia’s Political Deadlock Deepens

Mogadishu (WDN) – Former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has once again returned to a familiar political refrain: blaming the opposition for resisting his government’s electoral and constitutional agenda while insisting that his administration remains committed to introducing one-person, one-vote elections and a multi-party political system.

In an appearance on the Miisaan Podcast , the President argued that the central dispute between the Federal Government and the opposition is not about personalities or power, but about competing visions for Somalia’s future.

According to former President Hassan, the opposition wants to preserve Somalia’s long-standing indirect electoral model, while his government is determined to move the country toward direct elections and party-based democracy. This is a message Somalis have heard repeatedly over the past several years and position that contradicts his position before he became president.

The former President again emphasized that his administration will not abandon its plans for universal suffrage, describing it as an essential pillar of modern state-building. He also dismissed calls to revert to the 2012 Provisional Constitution, arguing that Somalia has already moved beyond that phase of its political development.