JidbaaleFormer Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has urged the federal administration against moving forward with a unilateral poll, advocating discussion to settle existing electoral issues.
Speaking on Friday, Sheikh Sharif, who heads the Himilo Qaran Party, raised worries about what he characterized as the government’s desire to organize a one-sided election. He cautioned that such moves might lead to more divides and added that if the government insists on a single-party election, Himilo Qaran will consider arranging its own elections.
Sheikh Sharif stressed the significance of meeting with the Jubaland and Puntland governments to obtain an agreement for elections involving the whole nation.
The former president also addressed the disarming of politicians, stressing the apparent discrepancy in security procedures. He stated that although African Union military in armored trucks closely defend the president, prime minister, and speaker of Parliament, other leaders are left exposed.
Sheikh Sharif’s words came amid a heated discussion about the sort of elections to be conducted in Somalia next year. The federal administration has stayed steady in its intention to conduct the country’s first one-person, one-vote election, a framework agreed upon in October 2024 by federal officials, three regional governments, and Mogadishu’s governor.
However, Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni and Jubaland President Ahmed Mohamed Islam (Madobe) have challenged the structure, revealing flaws within the federal system.
