Somalia Sets Election Dates 

Somalia has scheduled parliamentary elections for April 15 next year and a presidential election for May 15, as political divisions and security challenges continue to complicate preparations for the polls.

The country’s Election Commission announced the dates on Thursday, despite growing tensions between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s government and opposition groups over the electoral process.

Mohamud’s presidential term expired earlier this year. In May, his administration declared a transition period, even though the government and opposition had previously reached an agreement on holding elections.

The president has pushed to replace Somalia’s traditional indirect voting system, in which clan elders play a central role, with a system that allows citizens to elect their leaders directly.

However, regional leaders have resisted the changes, accusing his administration of attempting to consolidate power.

Organising nationwide elections has also proved difficult because the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab controls large parts of the country, limiting progress beyond some local areas.

In its statement, the Election Commission said the May 15 presidential election was based on a constitutional provision establishing a five-year presidential term, beginning from the date the president takes the oath of office.

Mohamud took office in 2022 but maintains that constitutional amendments passed by parliament earlier this year entitled him to an additional year in office. The changes established a framework for elections and extended the voting process.

Opposition parties boycotted the parliamentary vote that approved the amendments and have rejected the changes, deepening the dispute over the country’s political transition.