Somali president launches new political party ahead of 2026 elections
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday launched a new political party, the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), in the capital Mogadishu, amid mounting political tensions and one year before his current term ends.
The party’s leadership structure includes a leader, four deputy leaders, and a secretary-general. Mohamud was elected as the party’s leader and declared its presidential candidate for the 2026 elections.
The four deputy leaders include Southwest regional leader Abdiaziz Hassan Laftagareen, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Sadia Yasin Samatar, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, and Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama.
The launch comes at a time when the federal government is pushing for a shift to a one-person, one-vote electoral model to replace Somalia’s longstanding indirect voting system. Prime Minister Barre, who attended the event, also expressed support for a democratic process based on direct voting.
The formation of the party follows a recent meeting of the National Consultative Council (NCC), which has faced criticism from opposition groups who claim the platform is being used to further political interests. Former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has said the move undermines the NCC’s intended role of fostering cooperation between the federal government and regional administrations.
Puntland and Jubaland, which have been at odds with the federal government over constitutional changes and the electoral roadmap, did not participate in the NCC meeting and criticised the formation of the new party.
Opposition figures have voiced concern over the potential for power centralisation and compared the development to past one-party dominance in the country.
Despite the government’s ambitions for electoral reform, widespread insecurity, including the presence of Al-Shabaab in large parts of the country, poses significant challenges to holding nationwide direct elections.
Analysts say that while the idea of transitioning to one-person, one-vote is widely supported in principle, the current political and security climate makes implementation difficult without broad consensus and improved stability.
