August 28, 2012
Somali parliamentarians elected Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari as the new speaker of parliament on Tuesday (August 28th) with 119 votes.
Five candidates were vying for the parliament's top post, including Ali Khalif Galeyr who received 77 votes, Abdi Hashi Abdullahi with 23 votes, Abdirashid Mohmaed Hidig with 10 votes and Hassan Abshir Farah with 5 votes.
Under the election rules, the winner had to achieve 51% of the vote or go to a second round with the top four candidates. However, after the first round, the other three eligible candidates stepped down.
"After a successful election that was conducted in a transparent way, I declare... Mohamed Osman Jawari to be the speaker of the Somali parliament," said interim-speaker Musse Hassan Abdullahi, according to AFP.
After the vote, Jawari requested that Abdullahi continue managing the process until the deputy speakers are selected. "I will address the public once the elections [in parliament] are concluded," he told reporters.
"I thank all members of parliament who voted for me as well as candidates who participated," he said.
Jawari was the minister of labour during the Siad Barre administration. During the civil war, he moved to Norway and recently returned to Somalia. In September 2011, he was selected as chairman of the committee of experts charged with writing the Somali constitution.
At the beginning of the vote, 236 parliamentarians were present, and an additional 21 were sworn in after the first round of votes and will be able to participate in the selection of the two deputy speakers.
With the new members, the number of parliamentarians is 257 out of 275 total.
A delegation from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) visited officials in Moga...
A suspected terrorist and his wife were shot dead and six police officers were injured during a s...
Five people were arrested Thursday in Dar es Salaam with explosive materials in their possession,...
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta urged lawmakers to put aside their demands for higher salaries fo...
Somali government troops killed nine al-Shabaab militants during clashes Saturday (May 18th) in t...
Unknown gunmen shot dead an officer with a paramilitary security unit in north-eastern Kenya Satu...
Kenya's ruling Jubilee coalition took control of two key parliamentary committees Friday (May 17t...
The Djibouti Chamber of Commerce and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations ...
The European Union's Ambassador to Tanzania Filiberto Ceriani Sebregondi urged journalists to be ...
Kenya's Deputy President William Ruto said African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces shoul...
(Comment Policy) *Denotes Required Field
Reader's Comments
I think the Somali people have this time chosen the right man in the right place. Professor Jawari is a man with extensive experience in political issues. I say that the step out of Sharif Hassan from the politic scene is promising because this man has bad intentions towards Somalia. He only cares about his personal interests and does not care about the Somali nation wretched by wars and famine.
I hope that now stability has started returning to Somalia. I would like to advise the Somali people that it is they who will rebuild Somalia. We would like the foundation that they showed in the election of the Speaker of Parliament to spread to the whole of Somalia, the international community would like to witness growing solidarity in fostering PEACE in SOMALIA.
We pray to God for a futur full with success in work, justice, human development and safety and not sectarian feuds and blind tribalism. The new Speaker has experience and know about the European culture. He is a man of wisdom and responsibility. This deeds will either lead him to enjoy both life and the hereafter or be miserable in both of them. Thanks and regards to him!
It was infact fear and transparent way and let the one of the presidential be like that and even more better and i hope Shariff Hassan to be the comming president Amiin Amiin