Somalia’s Election Body Ramps Up Preparations for Historic Mogadishu Local Polls

GOOBJOOG NEWS|MOGADISHU: Somalia’s election commission has stepped up final preparations for landmark local polls in Mogadishu, as the capital readies for a rare one-person, one-vote election scheduled for December 25.

The leadership of the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission met on Tuesday with hundreds of operational staff and volunteers who will run polling stations across the Banadir region, underscoring the scale and sensitivity of the vote just days before Somalis head to the polls.

Addressing the gathering at the commission’s headquarters, NIEBC chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan said the upcoming election carries responsibilities that go beyond routine administration. He urged election workers to uphold strict standards of integrity, neutrality and public service, describing their role as central to protecting the credibility of the process.

“You are the face of this election to the public,” Abdikarim told staff, calling on them to ensure that voting is conducted fairly, transparently and in an orderly manner so that citizens can exercise their rights with confidence.

Deputy chairman Sadiq Abshir Garad echoed the message, stressing the importance of professionalism and non-partisanship as election day approaches. The briefing was attended by a large number of officials and volunteers, many wearing high-visibility vests, signalling that deployment to polling centres is already under way.

The December 25 vote is widely seen as historic. It will allow residents of Mogadishu to directly elect their local representatives through a universal suffrage ballot, a major departure from the clan-based and indirect selection systems that have dominated Somali politics for decades. For the Banadir region, which includes the capital and has long held a contested political status, the polls mark a significant moment in efforts to deepen local governance and citizen participation.

The meeting was one of the final operational steps ahead of the vote, which is being closely watched both domestically and by international partners. While security and political tensions remain a concern, election officials say the focus now is on delivering a credible process that reflects the will of voters and reinforces public trust in Somalia’s fragile democratic institutions.