Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud agrees to hold elections in 7 Months

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has agreed to hold elections within seven months and accepted some of the opposition’s demands, following mediation by the country’s international partners aimed at ending a long-running dispute over elections and the wider political crisis, Somali Stream reported on Monday.

The negotiations, which have proceeded mostly indirectly in recent weeks, saw Mohamud alter key language in his latest response to the opposition’s demands. Notably, he changed the description of the international partners’ role from “mediation” to “facilitation.”

The president also insisted on retaining the phrase “election of the federal government,” while apparently declining to give a clear timeline for when the presidential vote would occur. He removed wording committing to holding the presidential election specifically within seven months, even as he broadly accepted that elections overall would take place within that period.

Mohamud further struck out an opposition demand that the international community serve as guarantors of the talks, replacing it with language designating international partners as “observers” – a role limited to monitoring whether legal procedures are followed in the upcoming elections.

No technical matters have yet been agreed upon by either side, though the president has accepted the broader principle that the country should proceed to elections and that he should reach a political settlement with the opposition.

The two sides have also not reached agreement on the size of a taskforce they have agreed in principle should be formed to manage the upcoming elections, nor on a timetable. In his message, Mohamud urged international mediators to convey to the opposition that he is ready to hold elections.

Some observers view the shift as a softening of Mohamud’s position, after he had earlier insisted his term was extended by one additional year under a parliamentary constitutional change, with elections to follow only after that. The apparent concession comes amid sustained pressure from the international community, including neighboring countries, as well as mounting economic strain on his government following reduced international financial support.

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