Speaking on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez on Coffee-time, Lawyer Assan Martin, spokesperson of the Coalition 2026 mediation committee, said the coalition’s next phase would focus on regrouping and reaching out to former members and other political stakeholders.
“The doors will be open until the day we do nomination from the IEC. That is probably sometime in October, to the day of elections. The doors are open,” Martin said.
The coalition began its mediation process with 21 political actors but ended with about 10, after several parties and movements withdrew during the nearly 18-week process.
Martin said some left because of disagreements over the weighted voting system, while others had reasons the mediation committee could not substantiate. He, however, said the coalition respected their decisions and would continue efforts to bring some of them back.
“It was not an easy task. It was very difficult,” he said, adding that the coalition now wants to regroup, look at the way forward and reach out to those who left.
Martin said returning parties would not necessarily have to come back under the same conditions, noting that the coalition was prepared to consider new terms.
“We will have to review what will be maybe the new terms, or are they coming back with the old terms, and we will review ourselves,” he said.
He described the coalition as very pragmatic and said its first approach throughout the negotiations had been consensus.
“Everything can be negotiated It’s politics,” Martin said.
The mediation process was marked by disagreements over whether the coalition should be party-led or candidate-led, as well as who should become its flag bearer. Martin said these issues remained among the biggest challenges faced by the mediators.
Despite the withdrawals, the process continued and ultimately produced Talib Ahmed Ben Souda as the coalition’s flag bearer for the December presidential election.
Martin said the coalition believes its second phase will be one of regrouping, including reaching out to parties that were not part of the negotiations.
“We are very hopeful that probably if we re-engage, we re-engage with these people, we will definitely come out with something better,” he said.
