The first one-person, one-vote local elections in Galmudug state officially began today in all districts designated for the event, with the electoral commission saying that polling stations are fully open.
The Chairman of the National Electoral Commission, Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan, officially opened the voting process in Dhusamareb town, describing the election as an important step towards democracy in Somalia.
The chairman said that all 10 districts in Galmudug scheduled for the election opened their polls at 7:00 am this morning.
“Today is a great and historic day. This is the first time in nearly 60 years that the people have the opportunity to directly elect their leadership,” said Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan.
He said that 14 polling stations have been set up in Dhusamareb town, including 10 inside the city and four outside.
The electoral commission also said that more than 200,000 voters have been registered in Galmudug, with most of the registered voters having received their voting cards.
The commission chairman urged the public to participate in the election, noting that any registered person can use their ID card or voting card to cast their vote.
This election is set to be one of the biggest tests of Somalia’s direct electoral system, as the people of Galmudug will today choose the organizations and parties they support.
