Galmudug Re-run Election Results Announced

DHUUSAMAREEB (SD)— Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission has announced the results of the re-run elections for the Galmudug House of Representatives and local councils, following the completion of vote counting and tabulation.

Commission Chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan said the elections were conducted across 11 districts, with 12 political organizations competing for seats in the regional parliament and local councils.

According to the commission, 109,475 votes were cast in the House of Representatives election. Of these, 106,374 were declared valid, while 3,101 were rejected for failing to meet electoral requirements.

The commission also reported that 243 local council seats were contested. It recorded the same total of 109,475 votes for the local council elections, of which 106,894 were declared valid. The commission did not provide a detailed breakdown of votes or seats won by each political organization in its initial announcement.

The re-run followed the annulment of an earlier Galmudug election after legal challenges over the conduct of the vote. The new election forms part of Somalia’s wider transition toward a one-person, one-vote system, replacing the indirect electoral arrangements that have dominated Somali politics for decades.

The commission said direct-election preparations are continuing in other parts of Somalia, including Banadir, South West and Hirshabelle, as authorities work toward broader federal elections.

The Galmudug re-run represents another important test for Somalia’s transition to direct elections. However, the process’s credibility will depend not only on voter participation but also on transparency in the final distribution of votes and seats, particularly given the disputes surrounding the previous election.

If the competing political organizations accept the results, the vote could strengthen the case for expanding direct elections nationally; renewed disputes could instead deepen political tensions over Somalia’s electoral model.