By Shire Abdi - Reporter
Somalia, 21 May 2026 TOWFIIQ Political Party has raised concerns over the conduct of the May 10 election in Somalia’s South West State, saying the process was affected by issues that undermined transparency, credibility and public confidence in the vote.
In a statement, the party said institutions responsible for administering and safeguarding the election failed, in its view, to fully ensure fairness and transparency throughout the process.
TOWFIIQ also criticized what it described as political interference and the use of state resources in ways that affected the electoral environment.
“We are deeply concerned by the absence of credible and independent monitoring, which further weakened confidence in the electoral process,” the party said.
The group warned that the overlap between state authority and political competition could undermine efforts to build a democratic system based on fairness, free competition and accountability.
Related articles
TOWFIIQ said it would review its position regarding any outcome emerging from what it described as an electoral process that did not meet acceptable standards of fairness.
The May 10 election in South West State faced repeated delays in the announcement of results, prompting political debate over the vote-counting and certification process.
The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) later announced preliminary results showing TOWFIIQ among the political associations securing a significant share of votes and seats.
On May 18, Somalia’s Supreme Court said it had not yet issued a final ruling on the South West election results. The statement came after the electoral commission said it was awaiting court approval before declaring the final certified outcome.
The South West vote was the first election held under the region’s new electoral framework. Somalia’s federal government described it as an important step toward direct elections, while some political associations and opposition figures raised concerns over the management and transparency of the process.