Electoral Commission Dispatches Election Materials Ahead Of Southwest Polls

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has begun distributing voting materials for upcoming one-person, one-vote elections in Southwest State, marking a key step in preparations for the polls.

The commission said the materials were dispatched from Mogadishu to 13 districts where local council and regional parliamentary elections are scheduled to start on May 10.

Commission chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan said the rollout signals readiness to proceed with the elections across the targeted areas.

“Today, we have sent off the materials intended for the 13 districts where the integrated elections in Southwest State will be held,” he said.

He added that nearly 400,000 voters have already registered across the region and are expected to take part in the vote.

The steps are part of Somalia’s broader effort to transition to universal suffrage, moving away from the traditional indirect system based on clan representation.

Hassan also stated that the process is aimed at strengthening democratic participation, despite ongoing logistical and security challenges in parts of the country.