Somaliland: Opposition Candidate Elected As Speaker

[Deeq A.]

Somaliland: Opposition Candidate Elected As Speaker

The newly elected Somaliland House Of Representatives have elected, Abdirizak Khalif Ahmed, as the Speaker.

Mr. Ahmed, from the opposition party Waddani, defeated the administration’s candidate, the veteran politician and former Foreign minister, Yasin Haji Mohamud Hir “Faratoon”, by three votes.

The newly elected House held it’s first session on Tuesday, August 3rd, whereupon the new members were sworn in.

There had been intense lobbying for the position of the Speaker, with Mr. Faratoon, heavily backed by the Kulmiye administration 

However, even with a splinter group from the other opposition party, UCID, the Waddani candidate prevailed.

In what can be considered as a rarity in Africa, Somaliland has one party, Kulmiye, controlling the executive, and the opposition parties in charge of the legislature.

New parliamentarians, Saeed Gire & Ali Hamud of Ucid were elected first and second deputies, respectively.

Qarannews.

Qaran News