election

MOGADISHU — Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has rejected the government’s plan to hold one-person, one-vote elections in Mogadishu this month, warning the process lacks legal consensus, adequate security and public confidence. The vote would be the capital’s first direct election in more than 50 years. In an interview with the BBC Somali Service, Sharif — a leading member of the Council for Somalia’s Future, a coalition that includes the Somali Salvation Forum as well as the Puntland State and Jubaland…

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday issued a formal warning to district administrations across the Banadir region, ordering them to ensure an open campaign environment and unhindered distribution of voter cards as the election period intensifies in Mogadishu and its surrounding districts. In a directive circulated to local officials, the Commission said political organizations and candidates are legally entitled to campaign without interference, and citizens must be able to…

African Union Condemns Guinea-Bissau Military Coup Amid Electoral Unrest The African Union (AU) has issued a strong condemnation of the November 26 military coup in Guinea-Bissau, occurring just as the nation was poised to announce the results of Sunday’s presidential election. This sudden upheaval has raised significant concerns about the stability and democratic processes in the West African nation. In a statement released shortly after the coup, AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf emphasized the…

Echoes of Dissent: Cameroon's Deepening Political Crisis In the heart of Central Africa, where the air carries a blend of hope and despair, an unsettling tension has gripped Cameroon following the recent presidential election. On October 12, the Constitutional Council declared President Paul Biya the victor, cementing his authority for an astonishing 43 years. At 92 years old, Biya’s continued reign raises significant questions, not only about the nation’s political landscape but also about the very fabric of democracy in a…

Somalia’s planned leap to one-person, one-vote exposes fragile balance between hope and division MOGADISHU — Somalia’s long-simmering experiment with electoral reform has entered a decisive — and potentially divisive — phase. The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) has announced that Banadir, the region that contains the capital Mogadishu, will pilot what would be the country’s first direct, universal-suffrage poll on November 30. The move comes despite vocal resistance from several federal…

Somalia’s fragile federal compact faces a test as Mogadishu convenes regional leaders on 2026 elections MOGADISHU — President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud will host a carefully staged meeting in Mogadishu this week with leaders from three federal member states, a gathering that officials say is aimed at salvaging a badly strained process for the 2026 national elections. Expected to attend are Abdiasis Hassan Mohamed (Laftagareen) of South West, Ahmed Abdi Kariye (Qoorqoor) of Galmudug, and Ali Gudlawe Hussein of HirShabelle. But…

The Struggle of Democracy: Cameroon’s Presidential Election Under the Shadow of Paul Biya This past weekend, nearly eight million voters in Cameroon cast their ballots, illuminating both hope and despair as they participated in a presidential election that could define the nation's complex future. President Paul Biya, aged 92, is once again seeking to extend his unprecedented 43-year rule, a tenure characterized by a delicate balance of power, widespread criticisms, and questions about the viability of true democracy in the…

Ivorian Tensions Rise Ahead of Elections: The Ban on Dissent and the Fight for Democracy In Ivory Coast, as the sun begins to set over a nation steeped in political turmoil, the atmosphere buzzes with uncertainty. The air crackles with tension as the government has announced a controversial ban on public gatherings aimed at challenging a contentious decision by the Constitutional Court. This ruling has effectively barred several prominent opposition figures, including former president Laurent Gbagbo and ex-minister Tidjane…

Moldova’s Clear Vote for Europe Tests Resilience of a Fragile Democracy A decisive mandate in the shadow of geopolitical pressure Chisinau’s streets saw an unusual calm on the morning after parliamentary elections that delivered a striking — if narrow — validation of President Maia Sandu’s pro‑European platform. With nearly all ballots counted, the Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) crossed the symbolic 50% threshold, taking 50.1% of the vote to the Patriotic Bloc’s 24.2%. For many inside a country of 2.4 million, the…

Malawi Awaits Election Results as Tallying Continues; Calls for Calm Grow Louder Malawi is holding its breath as the Electoral Commission continues to collate votes from last week’s presidential and parliamentary elections, with preliminary figures showing former president Peter Mutharika edging ahead of incumbent Lazarus Chakwera. The slow, painstaking work of validating and consolidating tallies across the country has produced a mix of anxiety and cautious appeals for calm from political leaders and the electoral…