By Asma Mohamud - Reporter
Somalia (Dawan Africa) – Somalia’s South West State launched a large-scale one-person, one-vote election on Sunday, with 376,212 registered voters participating in polls for local councils and the State Assembly.
The elections are being held across 13 districts and 91 polling centres, marking one of the region’s largest direct voting exercises in recent years.A total of 1,691 candidates are contesting seats in the State Assembly and local councils, reflecting broad political participation and growing competition among political organizations.
For the State Assembly elections, 394 candidates from 15 political organizations are competing, including 322 men and 72 women.
Meanwhile, 1,297 candidates representing 18 political organizations are running for local council seats across the 13 districts. Of those candidates, 1,022 are men and 275 are women.
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The scale of voter registration and candidate participation is being viewed as a significant test of South West State’s direct election system, under which voters cast ballots directly for representatives instead of relying on indirect clan-based selection mechanisms.
The election is also expected to measure the organizational strength of political groups seeking influence in local governance and representation within the regional assembly.
Political observers say the figures highlight three key features of the process: voter participation, expanding political competition and the increasing role of organized political parties in Somalia’s evolving electoral landscape.