Lower House elections close in Jubbaland, 10 women elected

Jubbaland today became the first state to elect all MPs. A total of 43 MPs were elected, 10 of them women. Photo: Amisom

Voting has just concluded in Jubbaland marking the end of a tightly contested race that saw the disqualification of a minister and the election of 10 women as the southern state sent 43 legislators to the Lower House.

The election of Ibrahim Mohamed Hussein with 47 votes heralded the end of the exercise in Kismayu which started November 8 with the election of the first six MPs among them three women. Jubbaland becomes the first state to conclude the Lower House elections.

A total of 2,193 delegates participated in the exercise which saw the state allocate 23% of the seats to women. Petroleum Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Mukhtar was disqualified from the race after the Jubbaland electoral body declared him unfit to contest on grounds of voter bribery and intimidation of electoral staff.

Federal State Minister for Labour Osman Libaah Ibrahim and his Interior counterpart Abdirashid Mohamed Hidig were elected MPs. Former minister of defence and president of Azania (Jubbaland) Professor Abdi Mohamed Gandi was elected MP after failing to secure senate seat in earlier senatorial polls.

Joint Somali army and Amisom forces in collaboration with Jubbaland security forces secured the election centre.

UN envoy for Somalia Michael Keating is attending the closing event.

Jubbaland election in pictures. Photos by Amisom