Monday 21, April 2025 {HMC} Somalia’s National Independent Electoral Commission has extended the deadline for political association registration by nine days as the country gears up for its first one-person, one-vote local elections in over half a century, scheduled for late June.
Commission Chairperson Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan announced that the new registration window will run from April 22 to April 30, 2025. This marks the second time the Commission has extended the registration period for political associations.
In a statement issued Monday, the Commission said the decision was made in response to the slow pace of registrations and formal associations’ requests to finalize the necessary documentation.
“We are committed to providing equitable access to the process and ensuring that all political associations meeting the requirements have a chance to participate,” the statement read.
The extension comes as the Commission continues registering voters in Mogadishu, where thousands have already received voter cards since the process began last week. Registration is currently underway in multiple districts of the capital, including Shangani, Hamarweyne, Boondheere, and Shibis.
However, the reforms have drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders and officials in Puntland and Jubbaland, who argue that the central government is moving unilaterally without sufficient political consensus or institutional readiness.
