By Nuh Mohamed - Reporter
Somalia, 21 December, 2025 Over 1,600 candidates will compete for the 390 seats in the much-anticipated Banadir Regional local council elections on 25 December.
The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) Chairman, Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, said on Saturday evening that only 20 of the more than 60 registered political parties presented candidates and met all other electoral requirements.
Hassan said ballot papers have been already been prepared and will be delivered on Tuesday to the 523 polling stations designated for the election. Around 5,000 staff members are expected to work on election day.
Though more than one million residents had registered to vote, only 400,000 had so far collected their voter cards, meaning there is a likelihood that less than 50 percent of registered voters will participate in the elections.
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The commission also confirmed that more than 100 observers and over 100 journalists have been accredited for the election. Journalists received two days of training on electoral laws, procedures, and ethical election reporting.
Voters’ names will be displayed at the polling stations closest to their residences, however, voters are not required to go to a specific assigned station, but must vote within their respective districts, the commission stated.
The election, set to take place in Mogadishu on Thursday, has drawn strong criticism from opposition groups, who say they do not recognize the process.
However on Saturday, NIEBC brushed of the criticisms maintaining that all election materials, staff, and journalists assigned to cover the vote are ready for the elections.
