MOGADISHU, Somalia — Former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and prominent politician Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame addressed the media today in a joint press conference following the approval of Somalia’s new Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission by the Federal Parliament.
Sheikh Sharif opened the conference by questioning the government’s intentions behind proposing a one-person-one-vote system, which has stirred significant controversy and opposition from regions like Jubbaland and Puntland. He criticized the parliamentary process, stating, “The laws currently in effect were passed through a flawed process by the electoral commission.”
Abdirahman Abdishakur, a parliamentarian, went further in his critique, comparing the current legislative body unfavorably to those under Somalia’s past military regime. He accused the leadership of both parliamentary houses of mismanagement, stating, “The People’s Assembly has turned into a venue for applause, not legislation, with barely over 120 members, many of whom are ministers.”
Warsame also argued that the new election commission’s establishment contradicts Somalia’s federal structure, emphasizing that regional states should independently manage their electoral processes. His remarks highlighted ongoing tensions about central versus regional control over elections in Somalia.
HORN LIFE
