Press Release | 14th January 2021

AFP PRESS RELEASE

The Alliance For The Future Party (AFP) expresses its grave concern in relation to the latest unconstitutional manoeuvres of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo and the regional leaders.

The outgoing President and the regional leaders’ agreement of September 17, 2020, deliberately underminedthe Federal makeup, democratization process and the Constitution of the Somali Republic. We see today the results of that desperate attempt to maintain power.

By pursuing a timetable for Presidential elections on the 8th of February 2021, the Somali President carries no collective mandate or consensus, thus making the election illegitimate.

Abshir Aden Ferro, President of The Alliance for the Future Party (AFP) and Presidential candidate, once again alerts the Somali people and the International Community (IC) to the following points:

 - AFP underlined last year the proposal to impose the elections on the 8th February 2021 for the position of President, Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the Upper and Lower House through a fixed undemocratic ballot, violated the Constitution and the Electoral Law.

 - Under Somalia’s Constitution, universal suffrage should be exercised in the Presidential election, for the people to express their will in the choice of their President, a promise long awaited yet flaunted by the incumbent President. 

- The President's failure to uphold the Constitution and to abide by the will of the people created the risk of breaking up the already delicate federal balance, which could result in further divisions and strife, with two regions already expressing their refusal to endorse the election timetable.

- The President's defiance and the obstructions of the regions cannot and must not go unchecked.

- In September 2020, The Alliance For The Future Party proposed a 1460-day plan. Under this proposal it was suggested that the Upper and Lower Houses of the Somali Parliament should announce a two year extension with democratic one man, one vote election occurring at the end of the extended twoyear term. The Presidential election would take place on the 8th February 2021 or within the shortestpossible timeframe thereafter. But crucially these elections could only occur with the full support of all Federal Governments. The following Presidential elections in 4 years would then be held with a backdrop of a democratically elected Lower and Upper House with a one man, one vote election being implemented for the President, Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the Upper and Lower House.

This timeframe was devised and deemed essential to gain general consensus of each region, to embrace a proposed framework capable of delivering democracy and upholding the promise to the people of Somalia. We would actively encourage that this proposal be implemented to maintain the political stability of the country.

- We call on the people of Somalia to reject the abuse of power and to unite against the attempts towards division and strife that would only benefit the extremists and opportunists against our people, country and its institutions.

- We ask the International community and all concerned to act now to decisively contribute to finding a unifying and democratic solution to the imminent crisis facing Somalia.

Abshir Aden Ferro

President of Xisbiga Isbahaysiga Mustaqbalka

(Alliance for the Future Party)