Is Farmaajo’s cling to power the reason for Delaying Somalia’s Elections?

Repeated poll delays amid a feud between the president and the prime minister have alarmed the international community

Roble and Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, better known by his nickname Farmaajo, have long been at loggerheads over the long-delayed elections, with fears their squabbling could erupt into violence.

Concerns are growing over rising insecurity in Somalia as the Horn of Africa nation edges closer to a much-delayed presidential election. Al-Shabab militants have warned that they will target politicians.

To avoid a power vacuum after Farmaajo’s four-year mandate as Somalia’s president ended on Feb. 8, Somalia’s House of the People passed legislation in 2020 to ensure that the political transfer of power rightfully happens only through elections. This means that the current elected officials have to remain in office until they are reelected or replaced through the electoral process.