Galmudug state holds first direct elections as voters choose councils and state MPs

Thursday July 30, 2026

Dhusamareb (HOL) – Thousands of voters across Somalia’s Galmudug state cast their ballots Thursday in the region’s first one-person, one-vote election to choose local council representatives and members of the state parliament.

Voting took place in 11 districts across the Galguduud and Mudug regions, making Galmudug the second federal member state to hold direct elections after Southwest State and the third jurisdiction to conduct such polls under the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), following local elections in the Banadir region.

National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairman Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan said more than 200,000 voters had registered for the election, with 11 political associations contesting the polls.

In the state capital, Dhusamareb, voting was conducted at 14 polling centers 10 inside the town and four in surrounding areas where more than 20,000 voters were registered.

“The last time Somalis chose their leaders through a one-person, one-vote election was in 1969,” Abdikarin said. “This opportunity has taken months of preparation through voter registration, issuing identification cards and building the electoral process.”

In Abudwak, residents gathered before dawn outside polling stations, with many women waiting patiently for voting to begin. In Bandiradley, elderly voters stood in long lines, while in Guriel, large crowds assembled before polling stations opened under the watch of election observers. Residents in Balanbale also turned out in large numbers throughout the morning.

Hundreds of residents gathered in Galkayo to celebrate the historic election. For many, the chance to directly elect their representatives marked a milestone after decades without democratic participation.

Several of the participating districts were recaptured from the al-Shabab militant group during military operations over the past two years. Election officials said residents in those communities were voting for the first time because the areas had been brought back under government control.

However, the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP), led by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, is widely expected to perform strongly, following victories in recent direct elections in Southwest State and Banadir. Political observers say a strong showing by the party could bolster the candidacy of Libaan Ahmed Hassan, a JSP member who is seeking the Galmudug presidency.

Several of Somalia’s major political parties did not participate in the polls, a factor analysts say could further strengthen JSP’s prospects.

The Galmudug vote marks another step in Somalia’s gradual transition from its longstanding clan-based indirect electoral model toward universal suffrage, although direct elections have so far been limited to selected federal member states and local administrations.