Somali president urges turnout as Mogadishu holds first one-person, one-vote local polls in more than 50 years
MOGADISHU — Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on Wednesday night urged Mogadishu residents to fully participate in Thursday’s one-person, one-vote local council elections, calling the vote a milestone in the country’s state-building and democratic recovery as polls opened across the capital’s 16 districts.
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In a nationally televised address, Mohamud framed the elections as a defining moment in the restoration of Somali statehood and governance after decades of conflict and provisional power-sharing arrangements.
“The election is a clear indication of the return of governance and the improved security situation in Mogadishu,” he said, arguing that the introduction of direct voting signals a transition toward democratic legitimacy. He appealed to citizens holding voter cards to exercise their constitutional right without hesitation, stressing that the authority to choose local representatives now lies with the people.
The president portrayed voting as both a civic responsibility and an affirmation of national resilience, saying the process goes beyond filling administrative positions to strengthen the democratic foundations of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Authorities said comprehensive security measures were in place to support a peaceful vote. Security forces conducted a heightened deployment in the capital, including thousands of police officers at and around polling locations, while the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) confirmed logistical readiness ahead of opening.
Thursday’s local council vote is the first time Mogadishu residents have been able to cast ballots directly for their district representatives in more than 50 years, a break with clan-based and indirect mechanisms that have defined much of Somalia’s political life in recent decades. Turnout and orderly conduct are seen by officials as an important test of public confidence and administrative capacity in the capital.
The push for participation also comes amid sharp political disagreement. The Somali Salvation Forum, the country’s main opposition coalition, has rejected the process as neither free nor fair and accused the government of orchestrating a one-sided, one-party election. The administration has maintained that the exercise reflects a broad-based effort to normalize democratic processes and has emphasized measures in place to protect voters and polling staff.
The vote, which began Thursday morning, caps several weeks of electoral preparation in Mogadishu, including voter card distribution and coordination among district authorities, security agencies and electoral bodies. Officials said additional arrangements, such as controlled movement near polling centers and rapid-response teams to address disruptions, were designed to keep the process accessible while minimizing risk.
For many in the capital, the symbolism is unmistakable: lines of voters choosing local representatives by secret ballot for the first time in decades signal a tangible shift from transitional arrangements to a system in which political accountability is rooted in the neighborhoods and districts where people live. The outcome will shape local councils responsible for basic services and district administration—institutions that have often struggled in the absence of stable, democratic legitimacy.
Mohamud’s appeal on the eve of the vote, paired with visible security steps and public messaging from the NIEBC, underscores the stakes of a day the government has cast as a marker of progress. Whether the process satisfies both supporters and skeptics will likely hinge on turnout, security and transparency—benchmarks that could influence Somalia’s broader democratic trajectory well beyond Mogadishu.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
