MOGADISH – In a bold and politically charged speech during the launch of a new political party led by federal leaders and new parties from several federal member states, Somali Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared that Somali is no longer restrained by indirect elections and divisive family politics.
On Tuesday evening, to a packed audience of Mogadishu government officials, civil society members and political observers, President Hassan Sheikh said, “Groups with hidden agendas can’t embrace people and clans with each other.
On May 14, 2025, President Hassan Sheikh worked on the official announcement of a new political platform. This is part of an ongoing effort to shift Somali’s fragile democracy from an indirect clan-based election model to a more comprehensive, universal voting system. The launch, attended by well-known political leaders, demonstrates a strategic extreme towards national unity, transparency and future-oriented governance.
The president’s speech was widely interpreted as a clear rebuttal to political groups and local actors, particularly in Pantoland and Javaland, who resisted recent political reforms launched by the federal government.
Somalia’s fragile democratic transition has long been hampered by family-based powersharing, regional fragmentation and elite political civil war. Indirect elections – family elders then chose lawmakers to vote for leadership – dominate the country’s postwar war governance model, undermining the broader democratic engagement and creates repeated election crises.
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President Hassan Sheikh’s solid stance highlights the federal government’s commitment to moving beyond the status quo, even if opposition appears in a particular quarter.
“We will not suspend this country for anyone. Somalia will not be trapped in an indirect election cycle. Change is painful and full of fear, but we cannot stay for 25 years. We must move forward.”
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamd will lead political reform and the promotion of universal elections.
Federal Government of Somali (FGS). They seek broader national engagement and centralized legitimacy. Puntland and Jubbaland leaders have shown skepticism or complete resistance to the FGS-led initiative. Opposition politicians, some of them view federal reform as power integration rather than democratization.
Since the collapse of Somali’s central government in 1991, the country has relied on a family-based governance system. While federal structures have been introduced to provide balance and local autonomy, the persistent mistrust between Mogadishu and the regional states has limited progress.
Efforts to introduce one-person elections have repeatedly been delayed due to logistics, safety and political obstacles. The final major election process from 2022 to 2023 was characterized by intense delays, conflicts and international mediation.
