By Abdullahi Salad - Reporter
MOGADISHU, 21 SEP 26 – Somalia’s Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission on Monday published lists of candidates representing political organisations in the repeat simultaneous elections for Galmudug State’s local councils and House of Representatives.
The commission said 12 political organisations submitted their candidate lists and fulfilled the required conditions within the allocated period. The deadline for submitting the lists was 12 September 2026.
Political organisations that failed to submit their candidate lists before the deadline were considered unprepared to participate in the repeat election. The commission clarified that the decision concerned compliance with electoral procedures and did not revoke the legal registration of the affected organisations.
The repeat election is scheduled for 30 September 2026, while campaigning will close on 28 September. Political organisations are required to submit the names of their polling-station representatives on 22 September, while representatives and election observers will receive accreditation on 26 September.
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The vote is a rerun of the simultaneous Galmudug elections held on 30 July 2026. The Supreme Court annulled the results on 24 August following a legal challenge concerning the manner in which the election had been administered.
Those who filed the case alleged several procedural irregularities, including a failure to publish candidate lists in accordance with electoral procedures before the previous election.
The latest publication of the candidate lists is therefore among the measures intended to address the procedural concerns raised over the annulled election. However, the alleged failure to publish the lists was not the only matter raised in the case, which involved several complaints concerning the management of the electoral process.
The publication clears the way for the final stages of the repeat election. Attention will now focus on the commission’s handling of the concerns surrounding the previous vote and its preparations for a transparent process in which all participating political organisations compete on equal terms.