Before the election, the House of Representatives had no members of minority clans and only one woman.[1] In 2021, one member of a minority clan and 13 women ran for office.[7][2] However, none of the women were elected.[3] Five opposition candidates were arrested before the election, and several journalists were detained.[7] Some politicians criticized the government for perpetual delayed elections and criticized the unelected House of Elders, calling it both corrupt and undemocratic.[7] According to activist Ayan Mahamoud, "the two most pressing issues are rights of minority groups such as Gaboye communities and women".[13] Waddani, the major opposition party, made the promotion of women and minorities in society a key issue.[4] The party, aligned with the left wing economically but socially tied to Islamism and nationalism, included in its party manifesto a quorum of women comprising 30 percent of the parliament.[3] Kulmiye, an observer party of the Liberal International, has historically sought the establishment of a market economy but more recently has called for the nationalisation of some companies and a welfare program funded by a wealth tax.[3] Kulmiye was seen as the front-runner ahead of the election.[3] UCID, an observer party of the Socialist International, supports social democratic positions.[3]