Saturday November 8, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Former Somali Prime Minister Omar
Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke has warned that allowing regional states to manage the
upcoming federal parliamentary elections would risk plunging the country into
deeper political turmoil and repeat the irregularities of past polls.
Speaking on Saturday, Sharmarke said regional presidents who
allegedly manipulated results and “looted seats” in previous elections remain
in power and should not be entrusted with overseeing the process again.
“It would be a grave mistake if regional states were given
the power to manage the elections once more,” Sharmarke said. “Even if the
number of voters is increased, the outcome will not change. An independent
national commission must be established—one in which the regional states have
no influence.”
The former prime minister urged the Federal Government to
create a single, impartial electoral body with nationwide authority to
administer the elections, replacing the current system in which regional
leaders appoint local electoral commissions. He argued that the federal-level
commission should directly select and supervise election officials across all
regions.
Sharmarke identified the previous electoral process as
deeply flawed, citing the selection of electoral delegates by regional
administrations as a key factor that led to widespread seat manipulation. He
also criticized the absence of an independent body to handle complaints and
adjudicate disputes over contested seats.
“The lack of a neutral mechanism to address grievances
allowed electoral theft to go unpunished,” he said.
His remarks come amid renewed debate over Somalia’s
electoral framework, as political leaders deliberate how to conduct the next
parliamentary elections in a way that ensures fairness, transparency, and
national cohesion.