Somalia’s Galmudug state has rejected any election model imposed without political agreement, distancing itself from the recent vote process held in Southwest State and calling for a consensus-based approach, officials said.
Galmudug Information Minister Ali Mohamed Farah Seeko said on Saturday the regional administration would not accept an electoral process conducted without agreement among stakeholders, insisting elections must align with the constitution.
Speaking to Universal Somali TV, Seeko said Galmudug opposed replicating the model used in Southwest State and urged local leaders and communities to jointly determine the electoral framework.
“Galmudug administration is still insisting on previous agreements regarding the three-tier elections, namely local government elections, Galmudug administration and the federal government,” he said.
He accused the federal government of suspending earlier preparations for regional elections, saying committees and funding had already been put in place.
Seeko said his remarks reflect the official position of the administration led by Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Kariye Qoor Qoor.
“An election similar to the one that took place in Southwest will not happen in Galmudug, and we will not accept it,” he said.
His comments follow the conclusion of regional elections in Southwest State, where lawmakers and a regional president were elected despite objections from some candidates and opposition figures who alleged federal interference.
In that vote, former federal speaker Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur Madobe was elected president after rival candidate Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden withdrew, citing alleged violations of agreed electoral procedures.
