By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Somalia, July 21 2026 – Somalia's Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission is considering a request from political parties contesting the upcoming Galmudug elections to postpone the vote, its chairman said on Tuesday, adding that no decision had yet been made.
Commission Chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan said the request was raised during a meeting with political parties in Dhusamareb, the capital of Galmudug state, where the commission is overseeing preparations for simultaneous elections to the regional parliament and local councils.
According to Hassan, the political parties requested additional time, citing logistical difficulties, including the submission of candidate lists and campaigning across Galmudug's geographically dispersed communities, many of which require air transport rather than road travel. They also said they needed more personnel to support their election preparations.
"The request has been heard, but no decision has been taken," Hassan said. "As of today, our schedule still provides for the election to take place on July 25."
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He said the commission was operationally ready for the vote and that training for election staff was due to begin on Wednesday.
Hassan said more than 95% of the registered political parties had requested a postponement, and that the commission would assess the proposal before announcing its decision.
The commission also met Galmudug's police, intelligence and military officials to review election security arrangements, Hassan said, adding that security agencies had supported voter registration and voter card distribution over the past eight months.
According to the commission, more than 200 polling stations have been designated for the election, with over 200,000 registered voters, most of whom have already collected their voter cards.
The Galmudug vote forms part of the federal government's plan to hold simultaneous elections for regional legislatures and local councils. The electoral process remains politically contested, with disagreements among Somali political stakeholders over the country's electoral framework and implementation.