election

BAIDOA, Somalia — Armed tension surged across southern Somalia on Saturday after federal forces started moving from Buurhakaba toward defenses near Baidoa, raising the specter of a direct confrontation tied to a widening dispute over the Southwest State’s election schedule. The operation follows the arrival of roughly 2,000 federal soldiers in Buurhakaba. Some contingents reportedly came from the Lower Shabelle region, traveling through areas controlled by militant groups without meeting resistance—an itinerary that has…

Hungarian Prime Minister Vitkor Orbán faces perhaps the most consequential test of his 16-year rule as voters prepare to go to the polls on 12 April. Opinion polls put his nationalist Fidesz party nine points behind the centre-right Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, a 44-year-old lawyer and former Fidesz insider now running a vigorous challenge. Mr Magyar has ridden a platform focused on anti-corruption and business-friendly reform, building momentum after strong showings for his party in European and local ballots in 2024.…

Danish voters appeared to hand Mette Frederiksen her most punishing result in more than a century, as turbulence over migration and welfare eclipsed broad backing for her confrontational posture with the United States over Greenland. Ms Frederiksen, who has led the Social Democrats since taking office in 2019, ran on the claim that her tested, tough stewardship would guide Denmark through a fraught relationship with President Donald Trump and help steer the country's response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. But at home she…

Slovenia faces immediate coalition negotiations after an election produced no clear victor in a contest that could reshape both domestic priorities and the country's foreign policy direction. With nearly all ballots tallied from Sunday's vote, Prime Minister Robert Golob’s liberal Freedom Movement (GS) and the right-leaning Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS) of populist former premier Janez Jansa finished in a virtual tie. Neither party, as things stand, will reach the 46-seat threshold required for a majority in the 90-seat…

Monday March 23, 2026 Baidoa (AX) — In a fresh escalation of its standoff with Mogadishu, Southwest State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen has moved to set up his own Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, a decision announced just one week after he cut ties with Somalia’s federal government. Under a presidential decree dated March 23, 2026, Laftagareen appointed a chairperson, deputy chairperson, secretary and additional members to the commission, which is expected to steer both the groundwork and…

Sunday March 22, 2026 Dhusamareb (AX) — With Somalia’s federal leadership and the Southwest State locked in an increasingly sharp political standoff, Galmudug Vice President Ali Dahir Iid on Thursday stepped forward with an offer to broker talks, pressing both Mogadishu and Baidoa to return to dialogue before the dispute deepens. Iid said Galmudug stands ready to help “lay the groundwork” for renewed discussions between the Federal Government of Somalia and the Southwest State administration, arguing that a prolonged…

Somalia’s repeated election delays have become a central test for the country’s fragile democratic development and political stability. Elections in Somalia are closely tied to security, federal-state relations, and international support, meaning postponements can ripple across governance, public trust, and efforts to fight insurgency. This explainer breaks down what election delays typically mean in Somalia, why they happen, and how they can affect democracy and stability. What Happened Somalia has faced recurring…

Somalia’s push toward one-person, one-vote elections in 2026 has entered a decisive and contested phase, shaped by a pilot vote in Mogadishu, accelerating constitutional changes, and widening disputes between the federal government, opposition figures, and some regional leaders. The Federal Government says it is moving the country away from the long-running clan-based, indirect system, while critics say the pace and process of reforms risk deepening political tensions ahead of key deadlines in April and May 2026.…

Somalia’s parliament has approved constitutional changes that leaders said will extend the terms of lawmakers and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and delay planned elections by a year, adding to political tensions as the country approaches the end of its current mandates. The vote on March 5 was confirmed publicly by the president and the parliament speaker, according to Reuters. Opposition figures have criticized the changes and warned against any move they say could undermine the constitutional order. Election…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s planned 2026 national elections have become the focus of a widening political dispute after parliament approved constitutional changes that leaders and opponents say would reshape how the country chooses its leaders and when the next vote is held. On March 5, 2026, Somalia’s parliament voted to amend the constitution and extend the terms of lawmakers and the president to five years from four, according to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the parliamentary speaker in statements reported by…