Hirshabelle Vice President Warns Hiiraan Elections Cannot Proceed Without a Political Agreement.

MOGADISHU (SD) — Hirshabelle Vice President Yusuf Hagar Dabaged has warned that elections cannot be held in Somalia’s Hiiraan region without a prior political agreement and broad consensus among the region’s political and community stakeholders.

Speaking at a gathering of Hawadle elders and politicians in Mogadishu, Dabageed said the electoral process in Hirshabelle cannot be determined unilaterally by one political side. He called for consultations involving political leaders, traditional elders, civil society representatives and other influential stakeholders.

Dabageed issued a particularly strong warning regarding Hiiraan, saying that elections could not be conducted “even in a single village” without an agreement acceptable to the relevant parties. He said anyone attempting to organize elections without first reaching a political settlement would be responsible for the consequences.

“The current electoral process in Hirshabelle cannot continue in its present form,” Dabageed said, according to reports of his remarks. He argued that stakeholders must first agree on how the election should be conducted and how the administration’s political transition should be managed.