MOGADISHU — Presidents of Galmudug, Hirshabelle, the Northeastern Somali Administration and South West State on Friday hailed the peaceful conduct of the Banadir Regional Council’s direct elections, calling the Mogadishu vote a historic milestone for Somalia’s democracy.
In separate statements, the four federal member state leaders — all members of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) — praised the exercise as a major national achievement and a victory for the Somali people, underscoring growing momentum behind a one-person, one-vote system.
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Galmudug President Ahmed Abdi Kariye, known as Qoorqoor, commended President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for his determination and leadership in ensuring the polls were conducted peacefully and successfully. He framed the election as a tangible step toward institutionalizing direct representation.
Hirshabelle President Ali Abdullahi Hussein Guudlaawe congratulated President Mohamud, the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), the Banadir Regional Administration and Mogadishu residents. He said the ballot opened a new chapter in governance written by the people of the Banadir region and singled out security agencies for maintaining stability throughout the vote.
South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen likewise applauded the people of Banadir for participating peacefully, transparently and responsibly in a one-person, one-vote contest. He said the high turnout demonstrated political maturity and a broad public commitment to democratic participation, describing the election as a historic step toward a government rooted in the popular will.
The coordinated endorsements from federal member state leaders followed a day of orderly voting and early praise from organizers, positioning the Banadir Regional Council election as a test case for expanding direct elections. The Banadir ballot is widely viewed as a proving ground for the national effort to transition away from Somalia’s indirect power-sharing model.
Opposition groups, however, boycotted the polls, calling the process non-transparent and accusing President Mohamud of using the exercise to advance a political agenda aimed at extending his term. Their criticism set up a familiar fault line in Somali politics between proponents of rapid electoral reform and rivals wary of the pace, process and perceived consolidation of power in Mogadishu.
Somalia last held direct national elections in 1969, months before the military coup led by Mohamed Siad Barre. After the regime’s collapse in 1991 and years of civil war, the country adopted an indirect electoral system in 2004 to manage clan divisions amid persistent insecurity. Successive governments have pledged to return to universal suffrage as security and administrative capacity allow.
Supporters of the Banadir vote argue that delivering a peaceful, credible contest in the capital strengthens the case for broader one-person, one-vote elections across federal member states and at the national level. The opposition’s boycott, meanwhile, keeps pressure on authorities to address transparency concerns and to ensure that future timelines and processes are agreed upon through consensus.
While the immediate focus remains on administering the transition in Mogadishu, Friday’s endorsements from Galmudug, Hirshabelle, the Northeastern Somali Administration and South West State signal a widening political coalition behind direct elections — and set expectations for what comes next as Somalia tests a path back to universal suffrage.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
