Tuesday August 26, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — A bloc of opposition leaders who left the Somali Salvation Forum and signed a election framework deal with the federal government on Monday will brief international envoys in Mogadishu on Tuesday on the agreement and immediate steps to implement it, according to officials familiar with the meeting.
The communiqué places the next elections under the 2024 electoral law and assigns the Federal Parliament to elect the president. The president may appoint a prime minister, subject to approval by the House of the People, and confidence may be withdrawn. State legislatures will elect their leaders and deputies. Any political group that wins at least 10% of federal parliamentary seats will be recognized as a national party.
Both sides said they would take urgent steps to prepare local, state, and federal polls and finish the remaining chapters of the provisional constitution to provide legal certainty. They also pledged joint backing for national security operations to clear areas still held by al-Shabab, and reaffirmed Somalia’s sovereignty and unity.
The delegation plans to outline a timetable for preparations and discuss their intention to register a political party that can compete in future contests, people briefed on the agenda said. The signatories held a closed-door session in Mogadishu late Monday to coordinate the outreach.
The bloc includes several political heavyweights, including former Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke; former Speakers of Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan and Mohamed Mursal; and former Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle.
The opposition faction that remains aligned under the Salvation Forum has not issued a formal response to the agreement. Organizers of today’s briefing said they will seek broader buy-in as the transition toward one person, one vote expands to local councils, state legislatures, and both houses of the Federal Parliament, as envisioned in the communiqué.
Officials said implementation now hinges on translating the deal into procedures consistent with the 2024 law and securing funding and schedules for the electoral calendar at each level of government.
