Mogadishu — Former Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has issued a stark warning that the country is not yet ready for a legitimate one-person, one-vote election, stating that the process risks further destabilizing an already fragile security situation.
In an interview with the BBC Somali Service on Wednesday, the former leader criticized the federal government’s electoral push as disconnected from reality. He characterized the initiative as political rhetoric lacking the necessary groundwork, legal frameworks, or inclusive agreement to ensure a credible process.
“Direct elections cannot be achieved through speeches alone,” Sheikh Sharif stated. “They require concrete laws, functional political parties, and—most critically—security on the ground that does not yet exist.”
He expressed profound concern for Somalia’s future, warning that the survival of the state itself could be threatened without a unified national strategy. The security landscape, he argued, has deteriorated to a point where many fear for the country’s stability in the years ahead.
Sheikh Sharif was especially dismissive of the newly formed federal electoral commission, which he labeled as partisan and illegitimate. “A credible commission must be built on consensus,” he said. “A body appointed unilaterally by one party destroys confidence in the entire process.”
He further contended that the electoral landscape is currently dominated by a single political faction aligned with Villa Somalia, the seat of the presidency, thereby stifling multi-party democracy.
The former president urged the government to forge a negotiated political framework to reduce rising tensions between authorities and the opposition, and to prioritize the preservation of state stability.
His comments come ahead of planned local elections in Mogadishu, which are scheduled to commence at the end of December 2025
