Elections Conclude Peacefully in Galmudug and Hirshabelle, Counting to Begin

Dhusamareb(SONNA)-Voting in local council and House of Representatives elections in Galmudug and Hirshabelle states concluded on Wednesday, with the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) reporting no major security or electoral incidents.

NIEBC Deputy Chairman Sadiq Abshir Garad said voting in Galmudug was held at 178 polling stations across 11 districts, with 267,420 registered voters choosing among candidates from 12 political organizations.

In Hirshabelle, voting took place at 103 polling stations across 10 districts, where 152,763 voters were eligible to cast ballots for 14 political organizations, he said.

Garad said polling stations closed at 6:00 p.m., while election officials continued to assist voters who were still in line at closing time.

He said there were no incidents that affected the security or integrity of the voting process at the polling stations, and thanked security forces and all stakeholders involved in facilitating the elections.

The deputy chairman added that vote counting would begin Wednesday evening following the conclusion of polling.