Sunday April 27, 2025
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s Independent National Electoral Commission launched voter registration across six additional districts in Mogadishu on Saturday, expanding preparations for the country’s first one-person, one-vote local council elections in nearly five decades.
The new registration drive covers Hodan, Howlwadaag, Kaaraan, Yaaqshiid, Warta Nabadda, and Kaaraan districts. Hundreds of residents lined up outside designated centers to register for voting certificates ahead of elections scheduled for June.
District officials urged citizens to take advantage of the registration period and exercise their voting right.
The Governor of Banadir Region and Mayor of Mogadishu, Mohamed Ahmed Amiir, toured several centers in Kaaraan, Hodan, and Warta Nabadda districts to oversee the process. He praised residents for their strong turnout and reaffirmed the importance of civic participation.
“Collecting your voting certificate and preparing to choose your leaders is not just a right — it is a vital responsibility of every citizen,” Mayor Amiir said during the inspection.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Deputy Governor for Security and Politics of the Banadir Region, Mohamed Ahmed Diiriye (Yabooh), pledged that every eligible resident of the capital will have the opportunity to register.
This marks the fourth phase of voter registration and a historic milestone for Mogadishu, where no direct elections have been held since 1969.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has prioritized transitioning Somalia away from the longstanding clan-based indirect electoral model. In 2023, the cabinet approved two bills to introduce a universal suffrage system ahead of the 2026 presidential election.
However, the process has faced political resistance. Opposition leaders, including former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmaajo), have rejected the government’s electoral plan, describing it as unilateral and warning that they may organize a parallel vote.
