Cabinet Classifies Mogadishu Districts, Sets Stage for November Local Elections

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: The Council of Ministers on Thursday approved the official classification of Mogadishu’s districts and confirmed that local council elections in the capital will be held on November 30, marking a key step toward the country’s transition to one-person, one-vote democracy.

The decision, reached during the Cabinet’s weekly meeting chaired by Acting Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, follows a proposal by the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs, and Reconciliation. It categorizes the Benadir region’s 16 districts into two administrative grades in line with the national election law.

Under the new framework, nine districts; including Hodan, Yaqshiid, Deyniile, Kaaraan, Dharkeenley, Wadajir, Warta-Nabadda, Heliwaa, and Howl-wadaag, were ranked Grade A, while seven others; Waaberi, Shibis, Hamar-Jajab, Boondheere, Hamar-Weyne, Abdi-Aziz, and Shangani, were classified as Grade B.

The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) briefed the Cabinet on voter registration progress and confirmed the readiness of the Benadir region for the upcoming polls.

In other business, the Cabinet ratified four key legislative items and agreements, including the Statute of the Advanced Institute for Security and Strategic Studies, the Draft Somali Police Act, the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, and the Statute for the Establishment of National Fishing Companies.