Mogadishu, Somalia — Somalia's interior minister defended the federal government's position ahead of a planned opposition conference in the southern port city of Kismayo, saying authorities respect the right to assembly while accusing critics of undermining democratic progress.
Interior Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh said in a statement that the government does not oppose meetings by political opponents, but described some members of the opposition as resisting reforms aimed at moving the country forward.
"The Federal Government of Somalia always respects the constitutional rights to assembly and meetings, which is a right guaranteed to every Somali citizen," Hosh said. "The government fully upholds this right, which is different from what happened in the past."
His remarks came as opposition figures and leaders from the semi-autonomous Jubaland and Puntland regions were expected to open a conference in Kismayo later on Tuesday, with discussions set to focus on the country's electoral process.
Hosh accused some opposition politicians currently in Kismayo of lacking a record of organising credible elections and of working to divide the country.
"Can someone without a culture of holding transparent elections claim to advise on electoral matters?" he said. "Can someone who has worked for four years to fragment the country now speak about its future?"
The interior minister also alleged that opposition groups are rejecting efforts to return political power to the public through one-person, one-vote elections at the local council level.
Somalia remains locked in a long-running dispute over the timing and model of elections, with tensions persisting between the federal government and some regional administrations over proposed reforms and the transfer of authority to voters.
