MOGADISHU — Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre on Thursday toured polling stations in Mogadishu as residents cast ballots in landmark local council elections in the Banadir region, marking a major step toward restoring direct democratic voting in the country.
Barre visited voting centres in the Shangani, Bondhere and Hamar Jajab districts, where he reviewed the conduct of the polls, security arrangements and services provided to voters.
He said safeguarding peace, ensuring transparency in the electoral process and respecting the will of citizens were the pillars of genuine democracy, stressing that responsibility for a successful vote rested with both state institutions and the wider public.
“The aspirations of the Somali people have begun to materialise today,” Barre said, describing the election as a historic moment that opens a new chapter in governance and democratic development.
The prime minister said the local elections represented progress toward good governance and the restoration of citizens’ constitutional right to directly choose their leaders after decades of indirect voting.
Thousands of Mogadishu residents turned out to vote under heavy security, with authorities imposing strict measures to ensure a peaceful process.
The Banadir local council elections are the first direct polls held in the capital in more than half a century and are widely seen as a test case for the expansion of one-person, one-vote elections across Somalia.
