Somalia: Somali Government Vows to Deliver One-Person, One-Vote System Starting With the Capital

Mogadishu — Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the final preparations for upcoming local government elections scheduled to take place across the country in the coming months.

The meeting, held at the Council of Ministers headquarters in Mogadishu, was attended by ministers from the interior, security, and finance portfolios, all directly involved in the electoral process.

The National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) presented a detailed progress report. Its chairman, Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan, said preparations had reached an advanced stage and that all necessary technical, security, and administrative resources had been secured.

"We have prepared voting materials, trained election staff, and established security protocols; everything is proceeding according to plan," Abdikarin told the meeting.

Prime Minister Hamza praised the commission and the participating ministries for their efforts and reiterated the government's firm commitment under the #DanQaran administration to implementing the long-awaited one-person, one-vote system, starting with local council elections in the Banadir region.

"The Banadir regional council election will mark the first genuine step toward a one-person, one-vote system since the collapse of the central government in 1991," the prime minister said.

The local elections are expected to be held nationwide between January and May 2026, with the capital, Mogadishu, and the Banadir region going to the polls first.

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