On Thursday, December 25, Somalia marked a significant political milestone with the launch of local elections in the Banadir region, which includes the capital, Mogadishu. This is the first direct local vote conducted by universal suffrage in 56 years.
According to the National Independent Electoral Commission, around 1,600 candidates are competing for 390 seats in local councils, with an expected voter turnout of approximately 400,000. These elections follow three postponements since the transition to a “one person, one vote” system was approved in 2024—a move supported by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud despite widespread political opposition.
The electoral process coincided with heightened security measures in the capital due to ongoing security challenges and threats from Al-Shabaab. Authorities deployed over 10,000 security personnel, imposed traffic restrictions, and organized voter transport to polling centers via designated buses.
The direct universal suffrage system had been abolished in Somalia following the rise to power of former President Mohamed Siad Barre in 1969, later replaced by an indirect electoral system in which representatives were selected through clan elders and leaders. The only recent experiment with direct local elections occurred in the semi-autonomous Puntland region in 2023.
These elections are viewed as a critical test for the political transition led by the federal government toward establishing a “one person, one vote” system, paving the way for parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for 2026.
However, the transition has sparked widespread political debate. Opposition forces announced they would boycott the December 25 elections, accusing the government of organizing a process lacking national consensus amid fragile economic and security conditions. Critics also warned that universal suffrage could be used to extend the president’s stay in power.
It is worth noting that the universal suffrage system is already in practice in the self-declared independent Somaliland region, which proclaimed its independence in 1991, though it has not yet received international recognition.