Somali electoral commission delays Southwest speaker vote amid court review

Tuesday May 19, 2026

Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia’s electoral commission on Monday put off the election of the speaker of Southwest State’s House of Representatives, saying it must first wait for the Supreme Court to review the region’s election results.

The vote for speaker had been set for May 18, 2026. In a statement, the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission said it would not proceed with forming the new regional assembly leadership until the court had issued its decision.

“Although the election schedule has already been announced, the commission is awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court to ensure the integrity and legality of the election process,” the commission said.

The commission said it had filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking validation of the elections it conducted in Southwest State. According to the commission, the request falls under electoral law, which grants the court the power to examine and approve results.

It added that once the court responds, it will move ahead with the remaining steps in the process, including announcing a new timetable for swearing in elected lawmakers and holding the vote for the House leadership.

The Supreme Court, however, said it has not yet received the official results from the Southwest elections.

In a statement dated May 18, the court said no formal election results from Southwest State had been submitted to it. The court did not say why the documents had not arrived.

The mixed messages have deepened scrutiny of the Southwest electoral process, which opposition groups have already condemned.

Opposition figures in Southwest State have sharply rejected the preliminary results released by the electoral commission, accusing the federal government of interfering in the process to help the ruling Justice and Unity Party JSP secure a win.

The commission had earlier said JSP captured 51 seats in the regional House of Representatives after winning more than half of the votes cast. Opposition leaders argue that outcome would give the ruling party a firm hold over the assembly and local councils ahead of the Southwest presidential election.

Critics say the results could also leave Speaker of the Federal Parliament Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, an influential figure in Southwest politics, with no serious challenger in the regional presidential race.