Somalia Sets Dates for Key Parliamentary By-Elections

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia’s National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) has scheduled by-elections for two vacant seats in the Lower House of Parliament, with voting set for March 6 and March 8.

The vacancies were created following the appointments of Saadaq Omar Hassan (Saadaq Joon) as Deputy Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) and Mustaf Sheikh Ali Dhuxulow as Director of the Somali Immigration and Citizenship Agency. Their former seats, HOP#248 and HOP#049, will be contested on the announced dates.

Additionally, three more parliamentary seats remain unfilled. Abdullahi Sanbaloolshe’s seat was left vacant after his appointment as Director of the Somali National Security Agency, while the seats of Khadija Mohamed Diiriye and Seeseey remain empty following their passing.

On January 25, House Speaker Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madoobe urged the Electoral Commission to expedite the process of filling all five vacant seats to ensure full parliamentary representation.

The upcoming by-elections come at a pivotal moment as Somalia faces ongoing political and security challenges, with a fully functioning legislature seen as crucial to national stability.