Mogadishu — Somalia's federal government is willing to make concessions on technical aspects of the country's electoral process but will not abandon its commitment to holding direct elections, Information Minister Abdifatah Qasim Mahmoud has said.
Speaking about the ongoing political dispute over the electoral system, Qasim said the government was prepared to negotiate issues that could be resolved through technical agreements, while maintaining that one-person-one-vote elections remained a central commitment of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's administration.
He said opposition leaders, particularly those from the semi-autonomous states of Puntland and Jubaland, had yet to formally communicate whether they would participate in or reject the proposed electoral process.
The minister said the government remained open to compromise on technical arrangements, provided that the broader objective of direct elections was preserved.
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Qasim also defended the president's political agenda, saying Hassan had made a commitment to ensuring Somalia independently benefits from its natural resources and reduces its reliance on foreign actors in security, the economy and trade.
The minister accused some opposition figures of maintaining links and cooperating with what he described as Al-Shabaab and foreign interests seeking to undermine Somalia's state institutions.
He said the government would disclose evidence supporting the allegations at a later date but did not provide details or independently verifiable information.
Qasim further alleged that some of the individuals implicated had been involved in fighting, claiming that some had been killed while others had been arrested.
The accusations come amid growing political tensions between the federal government and opposition groups over the proposed transition to a direct electoral system.
The minister maintained that Hassan had been elected through a democratic process and argued that political disagreements over the electoral framework should also be resolved through democratic means.
He said the government should not be forced through the use of violence or coercion to abandon its preferred electoral model.
Somalia has faced prolonged disagreements over its electoral system, with the federal government advocating a transition towards universal suffrage while opposition leaders have raised concerns about the process, its implementation and the need for political consensus.
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