Somalia is set to begin registering voters this week in preparation for local elections scheduled for June 30, marking a significant step towards direct democracy for the Horn of Africa nation, Bloomberg reports.
This will be the first one-person, one-vote election in nearly six decades, a period during which Somalia has relied on indirect election processes.
The announcement was made by Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan, head of the electoral agency, according to state media outlet Sonna.
While this signifies a pivotal moment for Somalia, the planned local elections will initially be confined to the capital city, Mogadishu. This limitation underscores the considerable security and logistical challenges facing the country, which continues to battle an al Qaeda-linked insurgency.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud’s term expires next year. Traditionally, Somalia’s presidents have been elected by members of parliament chosen through a clan-based formula.
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