Farsight Founder Abdirisak Aden Calls for Electoral Reform in Somalia

Abdirisak M. Aden, founder and CEO of Farsight Africa Group, has stated that Somalia’s current political system is blocking the country’s progress and emphasized the urgent need for direct, democratic elections.

Aden argued that the indirect electoral process and lack of accountability serve only the interests of selfish political elites, keeping the state-building project in a cycle of stagnation and manipulation by political brokers.

He also criticized the international community for enabling this “repetitive fake political theater” every four years, where Somali elites recycle the same narratives under the guise of indirect elections.

Aden called for an end to indirect elections and the adoption of an inclusive, consensus-based roadmap for democratic elections rooted in accountability—so Somalia can finally turn the page and build a hopeful and gradually prosperous future.

Somalia has not held a one-person, one-vote election since 1969. The 2023 Puntland local elections showed that a direct voting system is possible, but nationwide implementation will require serious reforms.

According to Aden, Somalia’s future depends on genuine political compromise and international support for meaningful reform.