Somalia named election dates for the presidency and parliament, immediately igniting a political furore even before the ink on the statement had dried up.
The head of the national electoral body went on state television and announced that parliamentary elections would be held on April 15, 2027, while the presidential vote would follow a month later on May 15.
The elections will involve political parties and will be through universal suffrage, marking the first time since 1969 when the country elected its Members of Parliament and president directly. The last four elections have been indirect and clan-based.
Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, who chairs the Independent National Elections and Boundaries Commission (INEBC), said the presidential date flows from a rule that a president’s five-year term begins on the day of swearing-in.
The electoral commission timetable was barely out before the opposition shot it down, demanding dialogue.
At the heart of the political stand-off is President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s mandate. His four-year term, which began in 2022, expired earlier this year.
In May, his government pushed through a constitutional amendment adjusting the presidential term to five years and declaring a “transition period,” even though it had agreed with the opposition to hold elections.
The opposition boycotted the constitutional amendment vote and has refused to recognise the changes adopted by the joint sitting of the two houses of parliament.
Mohamud’s critics also accuse him of using the changes to push through party-based elections, universal suffrage (one-person one-vote system) replacing the clan-elder system, which they call a power grab.
On Monday, the opposition coalition, Somali Future Council (SFC) rejected the federal government's 2027 election timetable, accusing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of taking unilateral decisions that threaten national unity and the federal system.
The SFC accused the presidency of making unilateral decisions regarding the Federal Parliament and the presidency without reaching consensus with key stakeholders in Somalia
The coalition claimed that the electoral body had issued the elections schedule under the direction of President Mohamud.
It thus swiftly called for the immediate resumption of political negotiations and urged the federal government and opposition leaders to agree on an electoral framework and timetable acceptable to all sides.
It also called on international partners to support mediation efforts aimed at resolving the country's political impasse.
And with that, the schism between the government and the opposition coalition drifted miles apart, with an agreement becoming a mirage with each word uttered.
The council warned that Somalia faces multiple challenges, including threats from Al Shabaab and ISIS, potential El Niño-related flooding, climate-driven droughts and intensifying regional rivalries.
It said those challenges made political cooperation and unified leadership more important, warning that continued disagreements could undermine state-building efforts and deepen divisions within Somali society.
Two former presidents were quick to weigh in too. Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo took to X to call the decision a “dangerous threat” to Somalia’s statehood, urging all sides to agree on a way forward before any date is fixed.
Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, once a leading voice in the opposition, warned that a contested process could produce parallel elections and, worse, civil conflict.
The government, for its part, welcomed the dates as an important step for democracy and urged all parties to take part in good faith.
Speaking to Al Jazeera earlier this month, President Mohamud acknowledged that serious security challenges remain.
He was however, categorical that the terror group Al Shabaab had no presence in the major cities and is unlikely to take over the country despite the group still holding territory in parts of the south and central Somalia.
The SFC warned that if President Mohamud continued what it described as unilateral decisions, the coalition would pursue further constitutional and political measures to protect the public's rights and the legitimacy of the electoral process.
The council said no individual or political group should determine Somalia's political future without consulting other stakeholders.
The coalition urged Somalis to peacefully oppose measures it described as unconstitutional and harmful to national unity, federalism and state-building.
It also appealed to international partners to encourage dialogue, accountability and a negotiated political settlement.
Also joining the fray in rejecting the electoral body’s election dates were two regional states that have always opposed decisions taken in Mogadishu by President Mohamud.
The states, Puntland and Jubbaland and several opposition groups rejected the revised constitutional framework and called for a negotiated agreement before national elections proceed.
The opposition coalition has planned a meeting in Nairobi next week to deliberate on the election dates as announced by the electoral body.
As SFC meets in Kenya, all eyes will be on the United Nations and Somalia’s development partners in Mogadishu to see which side they will take as the political furore gathers momentum.
Meanwhile, is Somali-American congresswoman Ilhan Omar going to be stripped of her American citizenship for her outspoken criticism of President Donald Trump?
Former American president Barack Obama had to step in this week after Omar’s house in Washington DC was subjected to a search by federal agents investigating allegations involving immigration documents dating back more than two decades.
The investigators carted away personal records and electronic devices, including the congresswoman’s phone, as part of their investigation.
Obama stood up for the Minnesota Democrat, warning that allowing political intimidation to become an accepted practice could expose future political opponents to similar treatment regardless of which party controls the White House.
The investigation also comes days before the November 3 congressional elections, raising questions among Democrats about the timing of federal investigative actions involving a candidate seeking re-election.
Omar, the first Somali-American woman elected to the US congress in 2018, has repeatedly rejected allegations concerning her immigration history and accused the administration of attempting to silence her.
