Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has declared that Somalia is entering a new democratic era as the country advances efforts to implement one-person-one-vote elections.
Speaking in a televised address on Sunday, the Somali president described the ongoing local elections in South West State as a “historic moment” and a major step towards strengthening democracy and public participation.
Hassan Sheikh congratulated residents of South West State after voters in 13 districts turned out to elect local council representatives and regional lawmakers through direct voting.
“This is a new chapter in Somalia’s history,” the president said, praising citizens for peacefully queuing to cast their ballots and freely express their political choices.
He said the elections reflected the will of ordinary Somalis rather than the interests of a few political elites.
“Democracy means those chosen by the people will lead, including even those who may oppose us politically,” he stated.
The Somali leader commended security agencies for safeguarding the electoral process and preventing disruptions from extremist groups, particularly Al-Shabaab, which he described as enemies of Somalia’s state-building efforts.
Hassan Sheikh also encouraged Somali youth to embrace democratic participation, saying their future lies in freely choosing leaders and contesting for leadership positions without coercion.
Addressing planned demonstrations in Mogadishu, the president defended citizens’ constitutional right to protest and assured the public that the government would provide security for demonstrators.
“People are free to demonstrate, free to express their political opinions, and free to choose their leaders,” he said.
However, he warned against the use of armed militias or weapons during protests, insisting that only state security agencies were mandated to secure public demonstrations.
The president cautioned politicians against exploiting public emotions and historical grievances for political gain.
President Hassan stated that Somalia should focus on peace, stability and democratic progress after decades of conflict.
He congratulated the people and leadership of South West State for what he described as a successful and peaceful electoral exercise and expressed hope that the rest of Somalia would follow the same democratic path.
Somalia has been working to transition from an indirect clan-based electoral system to a universal suffrage model that would allow citizens to directly elect their leaders for the first time in decades.
The federal government says the reforms are aimed at strengthening democracy, improving accountability and expanding political participation across the country.
However, Jubaland and Puntland federal member states have opposed the implementation of universal local elections under the new system.
The push for electoral reforms comes amid ongoing security challenges and political debates over the pace and structure of the transition.
Mogadishu maintains that universal suffrage remains central to Somalia’s long-term stability, democratic development and state-building efforts.