Abdihakim Luqman Re-Elected Hirshabelle Parliament Speaker Ahead Of Presidential Vote

GOOBJOOG NEWS|JOWHAR: Lawmakers in Somalia’s Hirshabelle State have re-elected Abdihakim Luqman Haji Mohamed as Speaker of Parliament, as the regional administration prepares to elect its president and deputy president on October 24.

Luqman secured 77 votes in an election held in Jowhar on Thursday evening, retaining a position he has held since November 4, 2020. Before joining Parliament, he served at Somalia’s embassy in Sudan.

Abdirahman Abdi Idow was elected First Deputy Speaker with 98 votes, while Jama Ali Mohamud secured the position of Second Deputy Speaker. Both candidates ran unopposed after emerging as the sole contenders for their respective positions.

Idow previously served as Hirshabelle’s Deputy Minister of Health and Social Welfare, following his appointment by President Ali Abdullahi Hussein Guudlaawe in 2022.

The election follows the swearing-in of 99 lawmakers in Jowhar on October 20, marking the formation of Hirshabelle’s first parliament elected through a one-person, one-vote system.

The Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) secured a commanding majority in the September 30 elections, winning 78 of the 99 parliamentary seats. The result gives the party significant influence over the selection of the state’s next president and deputy president.

The parliamentary leadership election marks another stage in Hirshabelle’s political transition, with attention now shifting to Saturday’s presidential vote.

The incoming administration will assume office amid continuing security challenges, particularly the threat posed by Al-Shabaab militants in parts of the Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan regions.

Hirshabelle occupies a strategically important position in Somalia’s campaign against Al-Shabaab, with its territory covering areas that have witnessed sustained military operations involving Somali government forces and allied local militias.

The newly elected parliamentary leadership will also face the task of strengthening legislative oversight, safeguarding the independence of the assembly and holding the incoming executive accountable.

The October 24 presidential election is expected to complete the latest phase of Hirshabelle’s leadership transition, with the JSP’s overwhelming parliamentary majority placing it in a strong position to shape the outcome.