MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Speaker of Somalia’s parliament Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur on Sunday accredited MPs elected in a process supported by the Prime Minister and recognized by the election body, ending weeks-long tensions over the seats on which both the incumbent president and rival presidential candidates were seeking to gain sway.
In a statement, the speaker said the MPs had met all procedures for parliamentary polls and were chosen in a process validated by the regional electoral team, the federal election body, regional President and the Prime Minister.
The move was blow to 16 parliamentarians selected in a parallel process backed by the incumbent President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, who has long been struggling to gain leverage on who should occupy the seats, that he saw as crucial for decisive victory in a bid to return to office.
Somali parliament will pick a new President on Sunday in a vote that will pit Farmajo against over a dozen opposition candidates, including two of his predecessors and his ex-Prime Minister. Analysts say that given recent crashing defeat for the incumbent president’s allies in parliament leadership vote, opposition could again triumph in next week’s presidential election.
Some of the main contenders, including the former President of the Transitional Federal Government and the chairperson of opposition alliance Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, registered on Sunday to run in next week’s presidential vote. read more
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