Somalia Supreme Court Ratifies Hirshabelle Election Results

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia’s Supreme Court has approved the results of Hirshabelle State’s parliamentary election, completing a key legal step in the formation of the regional legislature following the state’s first direct vote for lawmakers.

The ruling followed the formal submission of the results by the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), which organised the September 30 elections for Hirshabelle’s House of Representatives and local councils.

The vote marked a significant step in Somalia’s efforts to move away from the indirect electoral system, under which clan elders and selected delegates have played a central role in choosing political representatives. Under the one-person, one-vote model, eligible voters directly choose candidates through the ballot box.

According to results announced by the electoral commission, the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) won 78 of the 99 seats in the Hirshabelle House of Representatives. Other political organisations shared the remaining seats, with Karaama securing six, Iftiin Qaran five and Sincad three.

The outcome gives JSP a commanding majority in the regional assembly and strengthens its position ahead of the election of Hirshabelle’s next president and vice-president. The party has nominated incumbent President Ali Abdullahi Hussein Guudlaawe to seek another term.

The Supreme Court’s approval follows a similar judicial process in Somalia’s wider electoral transition, in which electoral results are submitted for legal review and ratification. The decision formalises the Hirshabelle results submitted to the court, although the broader transition to direct elections remains politically sensitive, with disagreements over electoral arrangements and the pace of implementation continuing to shape national politics.

Hirshabelle’s vote was held alongside elections in neighbouring Galmudug, as federal electoral authorities expand direct voting at state and local levels. The experience of these elections is likely to influence preparations for future polls, including the wider debate over how Somalia will select its federal parliament and national leadership.