By Horn Africa News
MOGADISHU – Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission (INEBC) announced on Saturday that voter registration for the country’s long-anticipated one-person, one-vote elections will officially resume on September 9, marking a pivotal step in the nation’s shift toward a more democratic electoral process.
Speaking at a press conference in Mogadishu, Commission Chairman Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan said the registration window will remain open until September 30, offering newly formed political organizations the chance to mobilize and register supporters.
“Our offices are open at any time for those political groups that have met the legal criteria,” Hassan stated, encouraging political entities that have not yet registered to seize the opportunity and join the process. Earlier in the day, the Commission officially registered 14 political parties, including those led by former parliamentary speakers Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden and Mohamed Mursal Sheikh Abdirahman.
This development is widely viewed as a meaningful step toward dismantling Somalia’s long-standing clan-based power-sharing system in favor of a more representative, citizen-driven model.
A New Electoral Framework
The announcement follows a recent political agreement between Somalia’s federal government and elements of the opposition, which laid the foundation for a hybrid electoral system.
Under this model, members of parliament will be directly elected by the public through universal suffrage, while the president will continue to be selected by parliament—a structure that blends Somalia’s parliamentary roots with a more participatory democratic mechanism. If fully implemented, the new framework promises to dramatically reshape how political power is distributed in Somalia, a country that has endured decades of conflict, institutional fragility, and protracted political transitions.
Growing Public Debate Over Electoral Reform The reopening of voter registration comes amid intensifying national dialogue over the future of elections in Somalia.
Across the country, citizens, civil society organizations, and international partners have been vocal in their support for a shift to a one-person, one-vote system—widely seen as a cornerstone for building a stable, transparent, and accountable government. Still, the road ahead remains challenging.
Security concerns, logistical complexities, and political disagreements—particularly between federal and regional actors—have repeatedly stalled Somalia’s electoral progress. Despite being promised for more than two decades, a fully realized universal suffrage system remains elusive.
Nevertheless, Saturday’s announcement has been cautiously welcomed as a hopeful sign that Somalia is inching closer to a democratic breakthrough. With voter registration set to begin in just a few days, all eyes are now on how the process will be managed—and whether Somalia can meet both the aspirations of its citizens and the expectations of the international community in delivering credible and inclusive elections.
