Somalian Parliament on Thursday elected a veteran politician as the speaker of the lower house, as the country edges closer to holding a presidential vote, reported Africa News.
The vote was held in a tent inside Mogadishu’s heavily-guarded airport complex under tight security, following a spate of attacks in recent weeks by the Al Shabab terror group.
The appointment of the new speaker followed a tense standoff between African Union peacekeepers and police. On Wednesday, the police force loyal to President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed turned away lawmakers attempting to enter the airport hangar where the vote was taking place, telling them it had been postponed.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble had instructed peacekeepers to secure the venue to allow parliamentarians access. The Somalian prime minister has been locked in a power struggle with the country’s president for the last few months.
Eventually, the lawmakers elected Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur, better known as Sheikh Adan Madobe, as the speaker of the lower house.
The 66-year-old Madobe, who had previously served as speaker between 2007 and 2010, secured 163 votes out of the 252 ballots cast. He is not known to be allied with either the president or prime minister.
On Tuesday, 76-year-old Abdi Hashi Abdullahi was re-elected speaker of the upper house.
The Somalian Parliament will now fix a date for lawmakers to choose a new president. Notably, the country has not held a one-person, one-vote election in 50 years.
President Farmajo’s mandate expired in February 2021 but in the absence of agreement on elections, he tried to extend his rule by decree, sparking violent clashes in Mogadishu.
On Wednesday, Somalia’s international backers warned that political tensions and security incidents must not be permitted to disrupt the presidential elections’ final stages.
“We urge all Somali leaders to exercise restraint, resolve differences through compromise, and avoid escalation of any incidents.”
