Somalia's Disputed Electoral Commission Launches Voter Registration in Mogadishu

by: Horn Observer Contributor | 15 April 2025 19:05

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Somalia's Disputed Electoral Commission Launches Voter Registration in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER – Somalia's controversial Federal Electoral Commission began voter registration on Monday in Shangaani district, Mogadishu, as part of a disputed process aimed at holding one-person, one-vote elections.

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The Commission's Chairperson, Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, described the launch as a significant step forward, noting that other districts will follow in the coming days.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (HORN OBSERVER – Somalia's controversial Federal Electoral Commission began voter registration on Monday in Shangaani district, Mogadishu, as part of a disputed process aimed at holding one-person, one-vote elections.

The Commission’s Chairperson, Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan who is a former member of president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's political, described the launch as a significant step forward, noting that other districts will follow in the coming days.

"I am pleased to announce the official start of voter registration,” Abdikarim told reporters.

The registration site, located inside a government facility in Shangaani, saw long queues, mostly made up of civil servants, soldiers, and government officials, including some ministers.

Khadija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi, who serves as both the Minister of Women and Human Rights Development and a Member of Parliament, said she was pleased to be the first minister to register for the one-person, one-vote election, having done so in her home district of Shangaani, in the Banaadir region.

"This is a clear step forward, showing that our country is officially moving toward one-person, one-vote elections. History is being made, God willing. Somalia will succeed,” she wrote on Facebook.

Al-Makhzoumi, who actively campaigned in support of President Mohamud, is married to Abdikarin Guled, a close ally of the president and a member of his political party.

This move comes amid deepening political rifts in Somalia.

The voter registration process is part of a broader plan by the federal government which they claim to implement a controversial elections despite strongly opposed by political opposition groups and some federal member states who believe it as an attempt to extend president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s term.

PHOTO: Khadija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi, who serves as both the Minister of Women and Human Rights and a Member of Parliament, said she was pleased to be the first minister to register for the one-person, one-vote election.

Last week, Banadir’s Deputy Governor for Security, Mohamed Ahmed Yabooh, revealed that although the original plan included 20 districts, only nine are currently ready to carry out the registration process.

"A total of 163 polling sites were planned across the country, but the current phase will only proceed in the nine districts that are prepared. The rest will follow once they’re ready,” said Yabooh.

The registration process is linked to recent constitutional amendments passed by the federal government, which also led to the formation of the new electoral commission.

However, the changes have been rejected by Puntland and Jubbaland states, as well as opposition politicians, including former leaders.

The international community has also expressed concern, withholding full support for the commission due to fears that the political impasse may further destabilize the country.

The National Consultative Council, which was meant to oversee the election process, has not convened in months due to the withdrawal of two key federal member states — Puntland and Jubaland — both of which do not recognize the authority of the Federal Government in Mogadishu.

Additionally, opposition groups in Mogadishu have rejected the unilateral electoral process and strongly criticized President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s controversial constitutional amendments passed last year.

With just one year remaining in President Mohamud’s term, critics fear that the voter registration efforts launched solely by the federal government may be part of a broader strategy to extend his time in office.