Speaker Hashi retains as Somaliland senatorial polls kick off in Mogadishu

Abdi Hashi is a long-serving Somali lawmaker and now defended his Senate seat during today's election [File Photo]

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The outgoing Senate Speaker Abdi Hashi retained his senate seat on Wednesday as Somaliland's Senatorial polls kicked off, months after a tussle pitting him and Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Gulaid, who was also keen to control the region's politics.

Hashi will now go to the federal parliament after his known challenger Said Omar Hussein withdrew from the race according to the poll body. Hashi had initially been slated to run for the seat unopposed, triggering heated debate.

The SIET had scheduled six seats for context on Wednesday of the 11 slated for the takeaway region. The rest of the seats will be contested on Thursday, with Somalia now on the verge of filling all the 54 senatorial seats allocated to all states.

Salah Ahmed Jama won the second Senate seat after garnering 29 votes against his opponent Ibrahim Idle Suleyman, an ex-chief justice who got 12 votes during the 1st round of the voting. 5 votes were invalid in the bitter contest.

In the third race, Ismail Samatar, a prominent Somali scholar and professor of geography at a University in the US, was elected to Somalia's senate representing Somaliland. He won 25 votes against Prof Mohamed Mohamud 21 votes.

And the outgoing Information Minister Osman Dubbe was elected as a senator for Somaliland in the ongoing voting in Afisyoni, Mogadishu. Dubbe, a close ally of the outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, received 28 votes against his rival Abdikarin's 17 votes.

The remaining two seats that are slated for the contest on Wednesday will be announced shortly by the SIET, which has been lauded for the work. The other five seats that are not filled will be contested on Thursday according to the polls body.

Already, the region, which purportedly broke away from Somalia in 1991, has dismissed the Senatorial elections, arguing that it's not part of Somalia. Those participating in the elections are mostly politicians based in Mogadishu rather than Hargeisa.

"The European Union congratulates the ongoing Election of the Upper House in Mogadishu. The EU also calls on the Federal Member States with remaining seats to conclude swiftly, and Somali leaders to meet own commitment to 30% women quota," European Union said.

After the Senatorial polls are concluded, Somalia will embark on the tricky Lower House elections, which have already started causing anxiety. Both Senators and Lower House members will be required to elect a president by the end of 2021.

GAROWE ONLINE