Former Somali PM Backs Separate Federal, Regional Election Commissions

Somalia, (Dawan Africa) – Former Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said Somalia should establish separate election commissions at the federal and regional levels to safeguard the country’s federal system and reduce election-related political disputes. Speaking in an interview with Dawan Media’s Miizaan Podcast, Sharmarke said regional states should independently administer their own elections, while federal elections should be managed by a national electoral commission trusted by all political stakeholders. He warned against placing all elections under a single electoral body, arguing that such an arrangement would concentrate excessive authority in Mogadishu and undermine Somalia’s federal structure. Sharmarke said the federal government should refrain from direct involvement in regional elections, adding that disputes arising from those polls should be resolved through constitutional institutions and the judiciary. He also stressed the need for an independent Constitutional Court and Supreme Court capable of settling disputes between the federal government and the federal member states. Sharmarke’s remarks come amid an ongoing political debate in Somalia over elections, constitutional reforms and the management of future electoral processes. The federal government argues that electoral reforms are necessary to advance a broader democratic system, including one-person, one-vote elections. Critics, however, have questioned how the reforms are being implemented, warning that unresolved political disputes could deepen tensions between Mogadishu and the federal member states. Sharmarke said electoral reforms must reflect Somalia’s political realities and federal system in order to build broader public confidence and ensure long-term political stability.