Somalia will hold presidential elections on May 15, 2027, the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission announced. Parliamentary voting for both chambers of the federal parliament is scheduled for April 15, the commission said through its chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan.
The election schedule calls for political party and voter registration to resume between November 1 and 22, 2026. The commission said the presidential election was set in accordance with the constitutional rule that the term of office of the head of state is five years and begins on the day of the oath-taking. “The presidential term is five years, starting from the day of the oath-taking“, the statement quoted by “Al Jazeera“ said.
Presidential term dispute
The scheduling of the elections comes after a political dispute over the length of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's term. It was due to end in May 2026, but in March parliament passed constitutional changes that, according to “Reuters“ allow for an extension of the term by another year. The opposition criticized the decision, saying it was taken unilaterally.
On 15 May 2026, the government defended the extension of the term, linking it to the constitutional changes and the need to complete the transition to elections. Opposition representatives, however, insisted that the president's term had expired and that power should be handed over after elections held as originally scheduled.
Parliamentary vote to precede presidential vote
Before the presidential election, Somalia will vote for members of the lower and upper houses of the federal parliament. According to the Spanish agency EFE, the electoral campaign will begin with the registration of parties and voters in November, and the parliamentary vote on April 15, 2027, will be followed by the presidential election a month later.
The elections will be held in a complex environment marked by the ongoing conflict with „Al-Shabab“ - a group linked to „Al-Qaeda“. According to „Reuters“ The Somali army, supported by the African Union mission, has pushed the militants back from some of their positions, but the group continues to control large rural areas and carry out attacks in major towns.
Sources: efe.com, internazionale.it, aljazeera.com