BAIDOA, Somalia, May 10 – Somalia on Sunday launched “one person, one vote” local elections across the South West state, marking a major shift away from the country’s long-standing indirect voting system.
Polling stations opened across several districts after the chairman of the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), Abdikariin Ahmed Hassan, officially announced the start of the vote.
Citizens cast ballots in districts including Marka, Baraawe, Afgooye, Ceel Barde, Qansaxdheere, Awdheegle, Buurhakaba, Walaweyn, Diinsoor and Waajid, in what authorities described as the largest coordinated direct electoral exercise held in the region.
State media reported long queues at polling stations, with voters gathering before dawn in some areas. In Afgooye, election official Omar Abubakar Omar, also known as Cadaani, said voting was proceeding smoothly and in line with electoral procedures.
South West state leaders also sought to project confidence in the process. Interim leader Jabriil Cabdirashiid said residents had waited years for the opportunity to directly elect their representatives.
In Xudur, the capital of Bakool region, district commissioner Mohamed Moalim Ahmed joined voters standing in line at polling stations rather than using official privileges, according to local media footage.
Authorities deployed federal and regional security forces across the voting areas, particularly in Waajid and other strategic districts, to prevent disruptions and secure polling centres.
Somalia has historically relied on an indirect clan-based electoral system, but the federal government has pledged to gradually transition toward universal suffrage despite political tensions and security challenges.
