The Somali Future Council has announced its approval of a Transitional Direct Elections Model, describing the proposal as an effort to break the country’s prolonged electoral impasse and establish a more inclusive and politically credible voting process.
In a statement issued on 20 June, the council said the proposed framework was designed to move Somalia beyond recurring political disputes surrounding elections and create conditions for a process accepted by a broad range of political stakeholders.
According to the council, the decision was reached through political compromise and reflects what it described as the Somali public’s desire for a swift resolution to the ongoing electoral disagreement.
The proposal seeks to combine direct voting rights for Somali citizens with the continuation of the country’s long-standing 4.5 clan-based power-sharing formula, which allocates political representation among major clan groups and minority communities.
“The new process is consistent with the right of Somali citizens to freely and directly elect their representatives, while preserving the 4.5 clan representation system,” the statement said.
The council also criticised what it described as unilateral election efforts and called for an end to electoral processes with predetermined outcomes. It argued that political dialogue would be necessary to reach consensus on the structure of future elections and oversee any transitional arrangements.
The statement further accused the current administration of pursuing a one-sided electoral process and called for negotiations that would ensure political legitimacy is based on public participation.
The council said it would present detailed procedures, guiding principles and implementation mechanisms for the proposed direct election system once formal political talks begin.
The announcement comes amid continued debate in Somalia over the country’s electoral future and how to establish a system that gains acceptance across the political spectrum.
