Friday July 10, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Former Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo’s Nabad iyo Nolol party has presented an election model it says could help Somalia overcome its current political crisis, following a second round of electoral talks in Mogadishu between the federal government and opposition groups.
The talks, organized by Turkey, were attended by representatives of the Federal Government of Somalia and Nabad iyo Nolol, with participation from Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United Nations.
The party said its proposed election model is based on 10 principles, including an election that is easy for the public to understand, credible, transparent, difficult to dispute and held within a limited time frame.
It also called for an inclusive election in which every Somali who wants to vote can do so freely.
The party said voter registration and voting should take place in the same location and on the same day, and that voters should cast ballots for the political party of their choice.
Under the proposal, parliamentary seats would be allocated according to the number of votes received by each party.
Nabad iyo Nolol also said election administration and security arrangements should be acceptable to both the government and the opposition.
The party said the process should unite the Somali people, protect political freedom and safeguard national independence.
It added that Nabad iyo Nolol is ready to accept any electoral arrangement agreed upon by Somalis, as long as it does not harm the interests of the country or its people.
The party said the model it presented is based on an election framework prepared in 2018 during Farmajo’s presidency, in cooperation with a technical committee that included the Independent Electoral Commission and several federal government agencies and offices.
Nabad iyo Nolol said the previously prepared model is the same type of election the current federal government says it wants to implement.
Somalia’s federal government and opposition groups resumed direct talks in Mogadishu this week to seek consensus on the disputed electoral process and constitutional amendments.
Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama said recent meetings with opposition groups had taken place in a positive atmosphere and showed progress toward resolving the electoral dispute.
Jama welcomed the opening of the talks and thanked Turkey and other international partners for supporting the political process.
He said the federal government has focused in recent months on implementing a one-person, one-vote electoral system, including drafting laws, establishing electoral institutions and consulting different sectors of society.
“Most of the parties participating in the talks share the same view on the principle that the Somali people should have the opportunity to choose their leadership, and that the electoral system should be based on democracy and a multiparty system,” Jama said.
The deputy prime minister said remaining disagreements are mainly related to election procedures and implementation, adding that those issues can be resolved through dialogue and consensus.
He said the government will continue consultations with opposition politicians, regional administrations, civil society groups, religious scholars and other sectors of society to achieve an inclusive electoral process.
The political impasse stems from constitutional amendments backed by the federal government that critics say could extend President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term by one year and delay federal elections until 2027.
Somalia’s presidential election was due in May, after parliament’s mandate expired in April, but the vote has been thrown into uncertainty by disagreements over the electoral framework and the government’s push to replace the clan-based indirect system with direct elections.
