The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), led by Chairperson Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, has released the official timetable for Somalia’s 2027 federal elections, setting parliamentary elections for 15 April 2027 and the presidential vote for 15 May 2027. The announcement marks the first time the electoral body has formally scheduled federal elections under the amended constitution.
According to the timetable, registration of political parties and voters will reopen from 1 to 22 November 2026, a 21-day period. Candidate lists for both chambers of parliament must be submitted by 22 November 2026, in line with Article 42 of the National Elections Law, which requires submission 120 days before polling day. The provisional voter list will be published on 21 January 2027, followed by the final voter list on 15 March 2027. Campaigning for parliamentary elections will begin on 27 February 2027.
The timing is significant. Opposition leaders have maintained that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s four-year term expired on 15 May 2026, while the federal parliamentary mandate ended in April. The government disputes that interpretation, arguing that constitutional amendments and parliamentary decisions extend its mandate until May 2027. The NIEBC’s timetable, placing the presidential election on 15 May 2027, confirms the government’s position that its mandate extends beyond the original term.
