Youth leader Abdiweli Musse says youth ready to vote in Somalia elections

Young Somalis are fully prepared to exercise their civic rights and participate in universal suffrage, a prominent youth advocate said here Tuesday, calling for the implementation of a direct electoral system to give the nation’s dominant demographic a decisive voice in its future.

Engr. Abdiweli Ali Musse, Director of the Somali Youth Leadership and Initiatives Center, stated that the younger generation is ready to move past political deadlocks and embrace direct democratic participation.

“One Person, One Vote: Somali Youth Are Ready—Let the Ballot Decide,” Musse said, emphasizing that the focus should remain on citizen readiness and civic engagement rather than political disputes.

Somalia has not held a direct, universal suffrage national election since 1969. Over the past decades, electoral processes have relied largely on indirect, clan-based representation models. With youth comprising over 70 percent of the East African nation’s population, an entire generation has grown up without ever casting a ballot in a direct universal vote.

“From 1969 to today, a generation that has never voted is waiting,” Musse noted, pointing out that today’s Somali youth possess the education, technological awareness, and civic determination necessary to navigate a modern electoral process.

Musse urged political stakeholders, civil society, and international partners to prioritize democratic inclusion and voter empowerment, highlighting that transitioning to direct suffrage is essential for long-term political stability, institutional accountability, and sustainable development in Somalia.

He added that establishing a direct “one person, one vote” framework will grant legitimate democratic mandate to national institutions while ensuring young people actively drive the country’s socio-economic transformation.