Somalia prepares for delayed and contentious elections

Some opposition presidential aspirants see the incumbent president, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, popularly known as Farmaajo, as an existential danger to Somalia. 

Some oppositionists are angry with Farmaajo’s attempts to create a stronger central state as he seeks a second term. They accuse the President of deliberately sabotaging the electoral process to ensure his stay in power.

According to constitution, President Farmaajo is to step down exactly four years from the day he was elected, so in this case 8 February. But Somalia’s political elite have realized that presidential elections cannot be held on 8 February.

Many opposition candidates are anticipating another crisis due to a delay in the polls. They accuse the President of having dictatorial tendencies that could plunge the country into instability if he tries to hang on to power.

In a December 2020 letter to the Turkish government, opposition politicians urged Turkey to stop a planned sale of arms to a special unit in Somalia’s police force – Harmaad– that receives orders from the executive branch of government.

For Farmaajo, just like Erdogan, opposition politicians are unpatriotic – representing foreign interests – and their intentions are to disrupt the progress made thus far in state-building.

This year’s election is a defining moment for Somalia's stability. The conduct and results of the vote will have a ripple effect on the social, political and economic relations in the Horn of Africa.