Somalia inches closer to direct elections as residents of capital, Mogadishu, collect voter's cards

Somalia has officially launched the distribution of voter cards in Mogadishu ahead of the capital’s municipal elections, marking a significant move in the nation’s broader move toward direct elections.

Nearly one million registered voters in the Benadir region are expected to take part in the upcoming polls.

On Sunday, the National Independent Electoral Commission's Chairperson Abdulkarim Ahmed Hassan urged residents of the capital to collect their voter's cards without delay.

The municipal elections were originally scheduled for October 30.

First direct elections

Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, who visited the commission’s headquarters on Sunday, reiterated the government’s commitment to implementing a “one person, one vote” system. He described the initiative as a crucial step toward strengthening democratic governance and advancing local development.

The vote will mark Somalia’s first direct municipal election since 1967.

Somalia’s 2022 elections were conducted under the country’s 4.5 clan-based power-sharing model, which allocates equal parliamentary representation to the four major clans and a half-share to minority groups.