House speaker removes last hurdle to presidential election

The statement says the El-Wak MPs are the legitimate representatives of the Gedo region in the 11th Federal Parliament inaugurated on April 14 in Mogadishu, the Somali capital. 

News Keydmedia Online
8 May 2022

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Lower House speaker Sheikh Aden Madobe who was elected on April 27 took a stiff decision to remove a hurdle in the path of the MPs to vote for a new president.

A statement from the office of Madobe obtained by the Keydmedia Somali service announced that the 16 lawmakers elected from El-Wak are the legitimate representatives of the Gedo region in the 11th Federal Parliament which was inaugurated on April 14 in Mogadishu, the Somali capital. 

This marks the end of a long rift over the Lower House seats in Gedo that led to the transfer of the voting district from Garbaharey to El-Wak by the Federal Electoral Implementation Team [FEIT].

The tussle between Farmajo, the outgoing president, and Jubaland state leader Ahmed Madobe over the seats was one of the main obstacles to the country's parliamentary election. causing delays.

The pro-Farmajo officials in Garbaharey held a parallel election and picked 16 legislators without FEIT's consent and were airlifted to Mogadishu to disrupt the electoral process in the Lower House.

Farmajo was relying on the votes of the Gedo MPs as he is running for a second term in office, facing dozens of candidates, among them some from the main opposition alliance trying to unseat him.

Garbaharey lawmakers rioted during the first sessions of the parliament after entering Villa Hargeisa within the presidential palace under the protection of NISA agents taking orders from Fahad Yasin.

KEYDMEDIA English