Thursday July 30, 2026
Dhusamareb (AX) – Galmudug opened a new chapter in its political history Thursday as thousands of Somalis voted in the federal member state’s first one-person, one-vote election, choosing local council representatives and members of the state parliament.
Polling was held in 11 districts across the Galguduud and Mudug regions. The vote made Galmudug the second federal member state to conduct direct elections after Southwest State, and the third jurisdiction to hold them under the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), following local polls in the Banadir region.
National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairman Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan said more than 200,000 people had registered to vote, while 11 political associations were competing in the election.
In Dhusamareb, the state capital, election officials operated 14 polling centers—10 within the town and four in nearby areas—for more than 20,000 registered voters.
“The last time Somalis chose their leaders through a one-person, one-vote election was in 1969,” Abdikarin said. “This opportunity has taken months of preparation through voter registration, issuing identification cards and building the electoral process.”
Signs of strong participation emerged early. In Abudwak, residents assembled outside polling stations before dawn, including many women who waited patiently for voting to start. Elderly voters formed long lines in Bandiradley, while sizable crowds gathered in Guriel before polling stations opened under the supervision of election observers. Balanbale also recorded a large turnout throughout the morning.
In Galkayo, hundreds of residents came together to celebrate the landmark vote. For many, directly choosing their representatives represented a major democratic milestone after decades without such participation.
Several districts taking part in the election were recaptured from the al-Shabab militant group in military operations during the past two years. Election officials said communities in those areas were voting for the first time after returning to government control.
The Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), headed by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, is nevertheless widely expected to make significant gains after winning recent direct elections in Southwest State and Banadir. Political observers say a strong result could boost Libaan Ahmed Hassan, a JSP member campaigning for the Galmudug presidency.
A number of Somalia’s leading political parties stayed out of the election, which analysts say may further improve the JSP’s chances.
The election represents another stage in Somalia’s slow shift away from its long-established, clan-based indirect voting system and toward universal suffrage. Direct polls, however, remain confined to selected federal member states and local administrations.
