Name: Somalia tests return to direct voting in Mogadishu elections
Uploaded: 2025-12-25T17:42:49.316Z
Duration: 2 min 17 s
Description: Residents of the Somali capital head to the polls in the city’s first direct municipal elections in decades. Breaking with a clan-based indirect system established in 1969, the vote is a test run for 2026 national polls.

Residents of the Somali capital head to the polls in the city’s first direct municipal elections in decades. Breaking with a clan-based indirect system established in 1969, the vote is a test run for 2026 national polls.

Mogadishu

Somalia conducted its first direct elections in Mogadishu in decades, allowing residents to cast their votes freely rather than relying on clan elders and delegates. The previous system, abolished in 1969, was replaced by indirect voting designed to foster consensus among clans during ongoing conflict.

The elections occurred under strict security measures due to advances by Al-Shabaab militants, with the city on lockdown and the airport closed. While President Hassan Sheikh Mohammed supports the direct voting system, it faces opposition from some parties who argue it centralizes power in Mogadishu, leading to boycotts by certain groups.

Somalia tests return to direct voting in Mogadishu elections

It's the hottest ticket in town, Mogadishu residents flashing their voting cards as they head to the polls for the first direct elections in decades. In the past, clan elders and delegates would be bribed for votes, but now you're free to vote for who you want. Somalia's direct voting system was abolished in 1969 by an authoritarian government that ruled for more than two decades. After 1991, clan representatives elected lawmakers who then chose the president. That indirect voting system was designed to promote consensus among rival clans in the face of a bloody and ongoing Islamist insurgency. Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militants, who want to overthrow the government, have made rapid gains this year, taking dozens of towns and villages. With the security situation deteriorating, Mogadishu is on lockdown for election day. Thousands of security personnel are patrolling the streets, movement has been restricted and the international airport closed. But that hasn't deterred eager voters who've formed long queues outside polling stations. I was born in Mogadishu, never left this city. I've seen so much destruction, but today we can vote for who we want, which is why I'm happy. I'm among the youth who've been yearning to have their voices heard, and I'm very happy for this chance. I hope today's opportunity to vote will become even better for our children and future generations. The direct voting system has been championed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohammed, but does not have unanimous support. Opponents argue it's a bid to centralise power in Mogadishu, while some parties in the capital have boycotted the election.

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