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Controversy Over Maintaining Security Of The Election Venue

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Despite having serious tensions arousing from whose role it is to maintain security of the election venue ‘Afisiyone’ in Aden Adde International Aiport including controversy over the legitimacy of the parallel election of 16 seats elected in Elwak and Garbaharey, and acts of counterproductive kind of communication such as parallel and opposite nature directives by the offices of the president and the prime minister; the Somali lawmakers have made possible to achieve a major milestone to conclude the leadership of the senate and house of the people of Somalia’ the 11th Parliament which will take charge remaining election processes of a government that has a mandate to run the nation for four years term.

On the 25th of April, 16 lawmakers elected in the Elwak district of Gedo region were sworn in at the Afisyone tent in Mogadishu. The swearing-in event was attended by the Interim Speaker of the House of the People Abdisalan Ahmed Dhabanad, the Lower House General-Secretary Abdikarim Abdi Buuh, and the Federal Electoral Implementation Team members. A separate parliamentary election for the Gedo constituency began as well in the regional capital Garbaharey. Members of the FIET who reached Garbaharet run that election and have claimed to have facilitated the election process which was aimed to conclude before the election for the Lower House Speaker.

However, the Dispute Resolution Committee Chairperson, Mohamed Awil Warsame, dismissed the parallel elections in Elwak and Garbaharey in the Gedo region as illegal. Speaking to the local media, the Chairperson said that the separate elections in Elwak and Garbaharey violated the 17 September 2020 Agreement reached by the leaders of the National Consultative Council. Somalia’s President also called the two elections illegal and called for a national leadership conference to discuss the disputed seats. The 16 seats from the Gedo constituency were the final seats left to complete the 11th Parliament.

Moreover, Senator Abdi Hashi was re-elected as the Speaker of the Upper House of Somalia's Federal Parliament, commonly referred to as Somalia's Senate, on Tuesday following an election at the Afisioni tent in Mogadishu. Abdi Hashi received 28 votes, narrowly defeating Salah Ahmed Jama, who was able to garner 24 votes. Osman Abukar Dubbe, the current Minister of Information, received two votes. Senator Abdi Hashi served as Senate Speaker in Somalia's 10th Parliament. The election for the deputy speaker positions continues.

In this difficult political crisis on the election process for Somalia; Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble have had to fly out of the country to attend a high-level meeting to discuss the ongoing drought in the Horn of Africa region that held in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting kicked off on Tuesday, 26 April. The European Union (EU) organised the meeting jointly with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Prime Minister Roble addressed the conference on Somalia's harsh drought situation, urging the international community to assist the drought-stricken people of the Horn of Africa nation. During his visit to Geneva, Prime Minister Roble met with the Somali Diaspora in Switzerland and took a tour of the Somali Embassy.

The delegation led by Prime Minister Roble returned to Mogadishu from Geneva Wednesday evening, 27th of April, to address quickly issues pertaining the security of Afisiyone tent in which early that day Prime Minister Roble shared circular directing ATMIS to take charge of the election venue security. The Prime Minister’s memo was followed by another conflicting directive of the security responsibility stating it does fall under the Somali Police Commission. Later that night, the Minister of Security who a close ally of the Prime Miniser is issued a letter sacking the Police Commissioner Mr. Hajar. Afterwards, Villa Somalia also posted their rejection of the Police Commissioner’s sacking calling it unlawful. The tension was later defused through negotiations spearheaded by the presidential aspirant and former interim government president Mr. Sheik Sherif Sheik Ahmed.

On the 26th of April, Somali lawmakers elected Sheikh Aden Mohamed Nur as the new Speaker of the Lower House in a tightly contested election held at Aden Adde International Aiport, Mogadishu. Sheik Aden Madone was elected with a total of 163 votes defeating Hassan Abdinur, the Minister of Energy and Water Resources, in a run-off vote. Abdinur, a close ally of President Mohamed Farmaajo, got 89 votes, but opposition lawmakers backed Madobe in the second and final round of voting to secure the position of the Speaker. The Interim Speaker for the Lower House, Abdisalan Ahmed Liban who presided over the elections, said lawmakers would convene later on Thursday the 28th of April to elect the first and second deputy speakers. Abdinur conceded defeat and congratulated Madobe on his victory, calling the election free and fair.

On the 28th of April, The Lower House of Parliament elected Sadia Yassin Hajji Samatar as the country's first-ever female Deputy Speaker after defeating Mohamed Omar Ananug on Thursday. Sadia Yassin won with 137 votes, while Mohamed Aana Nuug received 107 votes in the second and final round of the voting. She was a member of the opposition MPs in the 10th Parliament.

Meanwhile, Abdullahi Omar Abshirow was declared the Second Deputy Speaker of Somalia's 11th Parliament after beating the incumbent Mahad Abdalla Awad in the run-off election. Abdullahi Abshirow received 146 votes, while the incumbent Mahad Abdalla Awad received 95 votes.‎

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmaajo, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, and all the leaders of the Federal Member States have all congratulated Sheikh Adan Madobe, the winner of the Lower House Speaker and his two deputies. Statement by President Farmajo posted on Villa Somalia’s social media accounts stated "I extend my congratulations to Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe, the newly elected Speaker of the House of the People. The New Parliament leadership faces an uphill task ahead of them in terms of developing governance, strengthening previously attained achievements, and ensuring national aspirations,”

Prime Minister Roble also sent his congratulations to the new Speaker, urging him to expedite presidential elections in collaboration with his counterpart in the Upper House of Parliament in order to end the country's election delays. Prime Minister Roble also praised the Somali security forces, ATMIS forces, and the international community for their efforts in achieving yesterday's remarkable victory.

The 54-member Senate and the 275 Members of Parliament from the Lower House are expected to jointly elect a new president in an indirect vote in May 15, 2022.

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