Tuesday September 28, 2021
MOGADISHU (HOL) - Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Guled has announced a candidate to contest with Senate speaker Abdi Hashi had been identified following sharp criticism from politicians from Somaliland.
Guled said Sai’d Omar Hussein had been picked for the race following consultations with clan elders. The list released by the State Indirect Elections Team (SIET) for Somaliland last week identified Hashi as the only candidate for the first seat.
Several politicians from Somaliland, including presidential candidate Fawzia Yusuf Aden and Ridwan Hirsi Mohamed, lashed out at Guled and Hashi for ‘undemocratic’ practices.
“Chairman Abdi Hashi and Mahdi Guled closed the rest of the seats to certain people deliberately and excluded many candidates from the list, including those who currently hold those seats and have the right to run,” the three politicians said in a joint statement.
The senate-hopefuls were at the Afisiyoni tent in Mogadishu on Tuesday to deliver their speeches to the Somaliland electoral delegates.
The Prime Minister called on FMS leaders to complete their Upper House elections quickly so that a new Senate chairperson can be elected.