Electoral body crosses midway mark as 145 MPs secure House seats

States across the country crossed the halfway mark Wednesday with the election of 13 more MPs as Jubbaland added one woman to the house on it final stretch remaining with one MP to go.

Wednesday’s election brings to a total of 145 MPs barely a week to the presidential poll deadline slated for November 30.

The fate of Petroleum Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Mukhtar was sealed yesterday when Jubbaland electoral body conducted elections for a seat the minister had earlier contested in effectively locking him out of the race. Abdullahi Mohamed Aden was elected MP. Jubbaland elected two MPs making it the state likely to conclude the exercise ahead of all states as it remains with one MP to elect.

Three more MPs were elected in Puntland with a similar number being elected in newly formed state of HirShabelle.

Meanwhile South West state with the highest number of MPs at 69 yesterday elected five MPs bringing to a total of 43 the MPs elected so far.

Three women women were elected from South West and HirShabelle states increasing the number of women to 23.