Somali’s capital votes as the first step toward restoring universal suffrage

In municipal elections held on Thursday in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, voters cast their ballots in preparation for the nation’s first direct national elections in almost 50 years.

Somalia last conducted direct elections in 1969, months before military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre overthrew the government in a coup, with the exception of ballots in the semi-autonomous province of Puntland and the breakaway region of Somaliland.

Indirect elections were instituted in 2004 following years of civil strife that followed Barre’s overthrow in 1991. While some Somalis claim officials favor indirect elections because they allow for corruption, the goal was to foster unity among opposing clans in the face of an Islamist insurgency.

The president is chosen by lawmakers, who are chosen by clan representatives. Additionally, the president has been in charge of choosing the mayor of Mogadishu.

The vote in Mogadishu, a city of around 3 million people where security has improved recently despite ongoing attacks by militants affiliated with al Qaeda and al Shabaab, is considered a trial run for national direct elections.

Abdishakur Abib Hayir, a member of the National Electoral Commission, stated that around 1,605 candidates are vying for 390 positions in the district councils of Mogadishu. After that, the council will select a mayor.

Hayir told Reuters, “It demonstrates that Somalia is regaining its footing and progressing.” “After the local election, elections can and will take place in the entire country.”

According to a Reuters witness, early in the morning, residents lined up outside polling places to cast their ballots.

The port, airport, and enterprises were all shuttered, and automobile travel was prohibited on the streets.

About 10,000 security officers were stationed at polling places, according to the electoral commission.

“I am casting my first ballot. The 65-year-old Addey Isak Abdi, wearing a pink veil, told Reuters, “I came here early in the morning, walking with other mothers, and I am very happy.”

Universal suffrage was reinstated in 2024 in advance of the anticipated federal elections the following year. But in August, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and some opposition leaders came to an agreement wherein the president would still be chosen by parliament in 2026, but parliamentarians would be directly elected.

According to opposition groups, Mohamud’s chances of winning reelection would improve if a new electoral system were implemented quickly.

Additionally, they wonder if the nation is safe enough for mass voting in light of al Shabaab’s frequent attacks on major cities and control over large swaths of the countryside.