Mogadishu (Kaab TV) – Somalia’s National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) has announced the commencement of vote counting following the conclusion of polling in the Banadir Regional Council elections on Thursday evening.
Speaking to national media shortly after polls closed, NIEBC Chairperson Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan said voting began at 6:00 a.m. and officially ended at 6:00 p.m., noting that the process was calm, orderly, and well organized across Mogadishu’s districts.
“The voting process concluded peacefully this evening, and ballot counting will now begin,” Abdikarim said. He added that observers, representatives of political organizations, civil society groups, and members of the international community will be present throughout the counting process.
According to the chairperson, voter turnout was strong, with broad participation from all segments of society, including elders, youth, women, and political leaders, who cast their ballots smoothly throughout the day.
Abdikarim emphasized the commission’s commitment to transparency, pledging to provide regular updates to the public as counting progresses. He noted that the process is expected to be completed within a relatively short time frame.
He also expressed appreciation to the Somali Police Force for ensuring security, as well as to election workers, national and independent media, voters, and all stakeholders who contributed to what he described as a successful and credible election.
A total of approximately 1,605 candidates are competing for 390 seats across Mogadishu’s district councils. Once elected, council members will go on to select the mayor of Mogadishu.
The Banadir Regional Council elections represent the first one-person, one-vote polls held in Mogadishu in more than five decades, covering all 16 districts of the capital.
Somalia last conducted direct elections in 1969—excluding the semi-autonomous Puntland region and the breakaway Somaliland—months before the military coup led by Mohamed Siad Barre. Following the collapse of his regime in 1991 and years of civil war, the country adopted an indirect electoral system in 2004 to manage clan divisions amid persistent insecurity.
The Mogadishu vote is widely regarded as a critical test case for the potential expansion of direct elections at the national level.