(MENAFN) Reports indicate that Somalia has finished voter registration for the upcoming municipal council elections in Mogadishu, scheduled for October 30, marking what authorities describe as a historic moment in the nation’s democratic development.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, nearly one million residents of the capital have registered to vote.

“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,” Commission Chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan told reporters in Mogadishu.

The announcement comes amid ongoing political disagreements over Somalia’s electoral approach. Opposition figures, including former presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, have opposed the government’s one-person, one-vote plan.

Recent talks between the opposition and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud failed to reach an agreement, with opposition groups warning of the possibility of holding a parallel vote, labeling the direct-election plan as unilateral.

Somalia’s previous election in 2022 relied on the 4.5 clan-based system, which distributed parliamentary seats among four major clans and allotted a half-share to minority groups. The country has not conducted direct elections since 1967.

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