Mogadishu Nears Holding First Direct Elections in Decades

(MENAFN) Somalia has completed voter registration for Mogadishu’s upcoming municipal elections, scheduled for October 30, in what officials have hailed as a significant milestone toward reviving full democratic governance.

Close to one million residents of the capital city have signed up to vote, the Independent National Electoral Commission confirmed on Sunday.

“On October 30, 2025, the people of Mogadishu will head to the polls to elect members of the municipal council and the mayor of Mogadishu. I am very pleased that nearly one million people have registered with us, and their list will be announced on the 27th of this month,” said Commission Chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan during a press briefing in Mogadishu.

The registration marks a pivotal development for Somalia, which hasn’t conducted direct elections since 1967. The previous national vote in 2022 operated under the 4.5 clan-based formula—dividing parliamentary power among four major clans with a partial allocation for minority groups.

However, the transition to a one-person, one-vote system has sparked sharp political divisions. Key opposition leaders, including former presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, have openly rejected the new electoral model.

Recent negotiations between opposition factions and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud concluded without resolution. Opposition leaders have warned they may proceed with an alternative vote, labeling the government’s plan as a unilateral move.

Despite the political standoff, electoral authorities say preparations remain on track for what could be Somalia’s first truly democratic vote in nearly six decades.

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