Somalia sets presidential election for 15 May 2027

Right · 2Somalia's electoral commission said on Thursday 15 October 2026 that a presidential election will be held on 15 May 2027. 1 2 Right · 2Elections for both chambers of parliament are set for 15 April 2027. The commission's chairperson, Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, made the announcement on state broadcaster. 1 2 Right · 1President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in office since 2022, had a term due to end in May 2026. Reuters reports that in March lawmakers voted for constitutional changes that potentially extend his term by a year, which drew opposition criticism. 1

Right · 1AFP says Mohamud's government declared a "transition period" in May, and that Mohamud asserted the amended constitution gave him an additional year and set the electoral framework. It says opposition parties boycotted the vote and reject the amendments. 2 Right · 1AFP adds that the new schedule follows a rule setting a five-year presidential term from the date the president takes office. It says Mohamud's push to move from a clan-elder-based system toward democratic elections has met resistance from regional leaders, who see it as a power grab. 2 Right · 2Security is a further complication. Al Shabaab, an al Qaeda-allied group fighting the central government for two decades, still controls large areas of the countryside. AFP says this limits election organisation to localised regions. Reuters says the military, backed by an African Union mission, has pushed the militants back, but they can still strike major population centres. 1 2