Hassan Sheikh Addresses UN on Somalia's Election Process

New York (Caasimada Online) – The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has called on the United Nations and international partners to support Somalia's efforts to transition to one-person, one-vote elections, while emphasizing that Somalis must have ownership and leadership of that process.

Hassan Sheikh, who delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly on Thursday, stated that constitutional reform is fundamental to implementing a public vote, building accountable institutions, and establishing a multi-party political system.

“We invite the United Nations and our international partners to support this change by helping to strengthen democratic institutions, while always respecting our ownership of Somalia's democracy,” the president said.

His remarks come at a time when there is a significant dispute over the process for the upcoming elections, with the federal government and the opposition at odds over the voting system, election management, and constitutional changes.

There is also increasing divergence regarding the role the international community can play in resolving the political conflict.

The Somali Future Council, which includes opposition leaders and the leadership of Puntland and Jubaland, recently requested the UN Security Council to mediate the election dispute and for the international community to play a visible role in safeguarding any political agreements.

In a letter sent to the Security Council on September 11, the Future Council called for international support to achieve an agreed-upon electoral process.

The council also proposed the establishment of a mediation and guarantee mechanism involving members of the Security Council and countries contributing troops to the African Union mission in Somalia.

This position differs from that expressed by Hassan Sheikh at the UN General Assembly. The president welcomed international support to strengthen democratic institutions but insisted that the political process must be led by Somalis.

“Our goal is to become an effective democracy, where conflicts are resolved through dialogue, law, and elections, not through violence,” he said.

Hassan Sheikh stated that his government has consulted with political leaders, regional administrations, civil society, women, youth, and the Somali diaspora on the constitutional reform process.

However, opposition leaders argue that the government has unilaterally managed key parts of the process and that previous negotiations aimed at reaching an electoral agreement have yielded no results.

Election Dispute

The latest talks between the federal government and the opposition ended in July without an agreement, after both sides failed to agree on the voting system and who would manage the upcoming elections.

Although both the government and the opposition support Somalia transitioning to direct elections, they are significantly divided on how to implement it.

The federal government wants the elections to be conducted through registered political parties, managed by the national election commission.

The Future Council, on the other hand, has proposed a temporary system that allows the public to vote directly, while still maintaining the 4.5 clan power-sharing system when allocating parliamentary seats.

The dispute has been exacerbated by constitutional amendments approved by parliament in March, which extended the presidential and parliamentary terms from four to five years.

The Future Council has requested the Security Council to support what it calls a “fair and implementable electoral process,” which pertains to federal and regional institutions.

It also called for a mechanism for the international community to mediate among Somali politicians and guarantee any agreements reached regarding the dispute.

Hassan Sheikh, for his part, told the UN General Assembly that Somalia is entering a new democratic phase, where citizens will determine who governs political power through their votes.

“This is a new chapter of progress, where political power is determined by citizens, guided by the constitution, and upheld by the rule of law,” he said.