Residents of Somalia’s capital are set to vote in a controversial local election that marks the country’s first-ever one-person, one-vote poll since 1969Somalis vote in the first one-person, one-vote local election in decadesMOGADISHU, Somalia -- Residents of Somalia’s capital are set to vote Thursday in a controversial local election that marks the country’s first-ever one-person, one-vote poll since 1969. Since 2016, different administrations have promised to reintroduce one-person, one-vote elections, but insecurity and internal disputes between the government and the opposition have delayed their implementation. This will be the first major voting exercise overseen by the country’s National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, with up to 20 political parties fielding candidates. Security in the capital has intensified ahead of the local elections. “Mogadishu has demonstrated that local elections are technically feasible,” said Mohamed Husein Gaas, founding director of the Raad Peace Research Institute.

Source: ABC News December 25, 2025 18:36 UTC