Somalia’s opposition parties on Monday declared that they no longer recognize Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed as the president of the country after his term expired without a political agreement on a path towards elections to replace him, reported Africa News.
Somalia was supposed to hold indirect elections before February 8, but the central government and federal states could not agree on a plan over how to proceed with a vote.
A coalition of opposition candidates has urged the president, better known by his nickname Farmajo, to respect the country’s constitution and ensure a peaceful transfer of power.
“Starting from 8th February 2021, the council of opposition candidates does not recognize Farmajo as president,” the opposition alliance said in a statement. “The council will not accept any form of mandate extension through pressure.”
The group is allied against Farmajo but comprises candidates running individually for the president’s post, including two of Somalia’s former presidents. The coalition said it would not accept any effort to extend President Mohamed’s term.
It is calling out for the creation of a council of lawmakers that could elect a transitional leader to govern until elections are conducted. The opposition leaders want the transitional national council to include the speakers of parliament, opposition figures, regional leaders, and civil society groups who will steer the country through this period.
Meanwhile, Somalia’s foreign backers urged the country’s divided political leadership to resume their dialogue urgently so that elections can be held as soon as possible to resolve the electoral impasse that threatens the East African country’s future.
“We believe that it remains possible to reach consensus and that all sides are open to further discussions,” the United Nations, African Union, and other international partners said in a statement on Monday.
In the statement, the international community said that any attempt at partial or parallel elections would not be supported.
