Friday March 21, 2025
FILE – Commission Chairman Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia will hold its first one-person, one-vote elections for local governments in June, the country’s National Independent Electoral Commission announced Friday, marking a milestone in Somalia’s fragile democratic transition.
Commission Chairman Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan said voter registration will soon begin in districts and surrounding areas, with electoral staff already trained and voting equipment prepared for deployment.
“This is the first step in returning the power of choice to the Somali people,” Hassan said.
The elections will be the first direct vote for local councils since Somalia’s central government collapsed in 1991. Since then, power-sharing arrangements based on clan representation have dominated political life.
Despite the progress, the federal government faces significant obstacles. Two central federal member states, Puntland and Jubbaland, have suspended ties with the central government. It remains unclear whether the elections will take place in those regions.
The United Nations, a key partner in Somalia’s state-building efforts, is working to convene the National Consultative Council in April. The meeting is expected to focus on resolving political disputes and ensuring broader participation in the electoral process.
Multiple Somali administrations have long pledged to transition from indirect selections to universal suffrage. If successful, the upcoming local elections could pave the way for nationwide democratic reforms.
