MOGADISHU, 24 December – Somalia’s main opposition coalition, the Future Council, has once again rejected the upcoming Mogadishu local council election scheduled for Thursday, December 25.
At a press conference in the capital, opposition leaders—including former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, former Prime Ministers Hassan Ali Khaire and Mohamed Hussein Roble, and MP Abdirahman Abdishakur—described the election as deeply flawed and lacking genuine democratic credibility.
The coalition said it would not recognize the results of the vote. They accused the process of being controlled solely by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, with no real competition or transparent electoral framework.
Opposition members also raised concerns over the electoral equipment company, alleging it is owned by affiliates of the president’s party, the JSP. Questions remain over whether the voting method—open or closed list—has been clearly defined.
The Future Council warned that the events in Mogadishu do not constitute a legitimate election. Instead, they claim the vote seems designed to further a specific political agenda, potentially extending the president’s term.
