BAIDOA, Somalia Nov 17, 2014 (Garowe Online)-Former transitional parliament speaker Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan has on Monday been elected Southwest State president amidst tough opposition from Somalia’s Federal Government, Garowe Online reports.

Of the 396 delegates in the election hall, 373 voted in favor of Adan, 15 voted against him while 8 abstained from voting according to the organizers.

Four Presidential contenders running for Southwest state presidency were eliminated in the first and second round of the voting as his closest rival Mohamed Hassan Fiqi later accepted defeat gracefully.

The newly elected President of Southwest state has been immediately sworn-in into the office with Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle traditional leaders present.

Later Today, Adan will jet off to Copenhagen through Nairobi for High Level partnership forum on Somalia.

Parliament speaker and Adan’s political opponent Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari announced prior to his victory in Bay regional capital of Baidoa that Mogadishu-based Federal Government would not recognize the outcome of the election.

Hundreds of Baidoa residents took to the streets in Baidoa in the early hours of Monday morning, setting tires on fire to protest against Southwest state presidential election.

On November 8, convention participants adopted regional constitution and selected Barawe coastal town as the capital city.

GAROWE ONLINE