By Hassan Adan

MOGADISHU- Somalia’s Future Council (SFC), a coalition of opposition leaders engaged in Turkish-mediated political dialogue with the Federal Government, has unveiled a proposal for a Transitional Direct Elections Model (TDEM) aimed at paving the way for direct elections in 2026 while retaining elements of the country’s current power-sharing system.

The proposal, presented during the ongoing negotiations, seeks to bridge the gap between Somalia’s long-term constitutional ambition of adopting a “One Person, One Vote” (1P1V) electoral system and the political realities facing the country ahead of the next electoral cycle.

According to a policy document released by the council, the transitional framework would allow Somali citizens to cast ballots directly for their parliamentary representatives through universal suffrage while maintaining the existing 4.5 clan-based power-sharing formula for the allocation of parliamentary seats during the transition period.

The council said the model is designed as a temporary arrangement intended to promote political consensus, preserve stability, and gradually transition Somalia toward a fully constitutional democratic electoral system.

Under the proposal, implementation of the electoral model would require a comprehensive political agreement between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Somalia Future Council, making consensus the foundation of the transition.

One of the proposal’s key features is the suspension of political party participation during the transitional elections. Instead, the process would be conducted without party competition, with candidates contesting seats under a framework that preserves the current clan-based seat allocation.

The proposal further states that elections would be jointly administered by the Federal Election Implementation Commission (FEIC) and State Election Implementation Commissions (SEICs).

The two bodies would oversee the conduct of the polls at both federal and state levels.

Traditional elders would continue to play a central role by allocating parliamentary seats among clans in accordance with the 4.5 formula before voters directly elect their representatives, preserving the existing power-sharing arrangement while introducing direct voting.

The council also proposes that elections for all seats in Somalia’s Federal Parliament be conducted on a single agreed election day within a mutually accepted electoral timetable.

Under the framework, parliamentary seats representing the Banadir region and Somaliland would also be filled under the same transitional principles and procedures.

The proposal extends to Somalia’s Federal Member States whose constitutional terms have expired.

Their elections would similarly be conducted under the transitional model, supervised by the respective State Election Implementation Commissions, with no role for political parties during the process.

The Somalia Future Council said the proposal seeks to balance wider political participation, national stability and democratic progress while creating a pathway toward Somalia’s eventual adoption of a full One Person, One Vote electoral system as envisioned in the country’s constitutional framework.

The proposal was presented during ongoing negotiations between the Federal Government and opposition leaders, with the talks aimed at reaching a political consensus on Somalia’s electoral process and broader constitutional issues ahead of the 2026 elections.