The Independent National Electoral Commission of the Federal Government of Somalia has officially announced the schedule for elections in some of the country’s regional states, including Galmudug, Hirshabelle and South West.
A press release from the Commission stated that simultaneous elections will be held in South West, Hirshabelle and Galmudug, with the aim of unifying the electoral process in these states.
The Commission said that the House of Representatives and local council elections in South West will be held on April 28, 2026, with preparations for the elections already underway.
The Commission has been releasing election schedules at different times, and so far there has been confusion over the method of balancing the clans and how the organizations are winning candidates, and it appears that the Commission is now trying to oblige the organizations to form alliances or for each organization to independently nominate all the local councils in District A-B, which is never possible.
The Commission also announced that the Galmudug and Hirshabelle elections will be held jointly on May 13, 2026.
These elections are set to elect the House of Representatives and local councils in both administrations on the same day.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission said that the local council elections in the North-East Administration will take place on June 9, 2026.
These elections are expected to be the first to be officially held in Galmudug and Hirshabelle based on the new electoral process.
However, these elections have already faced political criticism, with some opposition parties having previously rejected the approach to local elections, indicating that there are still political challenges surrounding the implementation of the country’s electoral process.
