Somalia announced on Sunday the completion of voter registration for Mogadishu’s municipal council elections on October 30. Authorities described the milestone as historic, signalling a potential turning point in the country’s long-stalled democratic process.
Nearly one million residents of the capital successfully registered, the Independent National Electoral Commission confirmed in an official statement. “On October 30, 2025, Mogadishu’s citizens will vote for municipal council members and the city’s mayor,” Commission Chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan said.
Hassan added that the final list of registered voters will be published on September 27, offering a first glimpse of turnout. The announcement comes amid mounting political tensions over Somalia’s shift to a one-person, one-vote electoral model.
Opposition leaders, including former presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, have strongly rejected the government’s direct-election plan. Recent talks between opposition figures and President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud ended without an agreement, deepening political uncertainty in Mogadishu.
Some opposition groups warned they might hold a parallel vote, calling the government’s direct-election plan unilateral and unconstitutional. Somalia last held direct elections in 1967, previously operating under a 4.5 clan-based system allocating parliamentary shares by ethnicity.
The upcoming polls represent the first major test of Somalia’s transition from clan-based power-sharing to a one-person, one-vote democracy. Officials hope the high registration number signals public enthusiasm despite political divisions and years of fragile governance.
