MOGADISHU–Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Tuesday registered for the upcoming elections in Warta Nabadda district, Banadir region, obtaining his voter identification card from the National Electoral Commission.

The move has triggered mixed reactions from politicians and the public. Some welcomed it as a positive step towards implementing the one-person-one-vote system, while others criticised it amid deep divisions over the electoral process.

Opposition lawmaker Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, in a Facebook post, dismissed the initiative as “one person, one gun,” accusing the government of pushing an unfair process. Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi quickly countered, stating that “Al-Shabaab threatens people with guns, but the gun cannot replace the ballot. A politician who chooses the gun is no different from a warlord.”

The president’s registration comes as talks between the government and the opposition remain deadlocked over two key issues: recent amendments to the Provisional Constitution and the model for the next elections. The opposition has called for reversing the changes, a proposal the government has rejected.

Another round of negotiations is scheduled for Wednesday, marking the second meeting this week. Since President Mohamud’s Ramadan offer for dialogue, four meetings have been held at Villa Somalia between the government and the Somali Salvation Forum opposition alliance — all ending without a breakthrough.