Somalia Sets 2027 Election Dates Amid Opposition Dispute

Somalia’s electoral commission has scheduled parliamentary elections for April 15, 2027, and a presidential election for May 15, setting out a timetable opposed by former president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo and other opposition figures. Commission chair Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan announced the dates on state broadcasting on October 15. The schedule covers elections for both chambers of parliament, followed a month later by the presidential vote. The commission’s announcement establishes the planned dates, but the political dispute over the process remains unresolved. The disagreement centers partly on President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term. His second term began in 2022, and opposition figures say it ended in May 2026. The federal government says constitutional changes approved by parliament allow him to remain in office until May 2027. Opposition parties boycotted the amendment vote and reject the changes. The supplied reports do not provide an independent legal ruling settling the dispute. Farmaajo called the timetable unilateral and urged political factions to reach an agreement, according to his public statement. He warned that proceeding without agreement could lead to...