Disqualified candidate overwhelmingly wins contested seat in Hirshabelle

Hiiraan Online
Saturday February 4, 2017

Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan (Nuuh) won the contested seat today at the Police Academy in Mogadishu

Mogadishu (HOL) - The Minister for Sports and Youth, Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan (Nuux) has emerged the winner in a hotly disputed re-election for the Member of Parliament seat representing Hirshabelle, despite being previously disqualified by the Federal Indirect Electoral Implementation Team (FIEIT).

Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan won in a landslide, garnering 43 votes of a possible 44 votes. There were five other candidates vying for the seat but only Hinda Abdullahi Omar was able to muster a vote. The election was held at the Police Academy in Mogadishu after reports of violence and intimidation tainted the previous election in Jowhar.

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FIEIT disqualified Mr. Hassan as well as Ahmed Sheikh Nur for their alleged role in violence at the polling station in Jowhar back in November, a move that was backed by the International Community through a joint press statement. The UN SRSG, Michael Keating said that "the vote in Jowhar was deeply troubling" and violated the rules for the 2016 electoral process set by the National Leadership Forum (NLF). However, in a precarious turn of events, the NLF later gave Mr. Hassan the green-light to re-stand for this election, which he won handily.

International and independent election observers have reported corruption, intimidation, and vote-buying at 24 polling stations across the country.

The culmination of the vote for the Hirshabelle leaves just a contested seat in Jubbaland remaining before all MP's are elected to Parliament. The 275 members of the Lower House along 54 members of the Upper House will vote for Somalia's President on February 8th.

Electoral delegates cast their vote today to decide the fate of the Jubbaland seat

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