Beledweyne (AX) — A dispute over Hirshabelle’s coming leadership election intensified Monday after the Hawadle clan declared it would reject any vote held without a prior political agreement.
The position emerged from consultative meetings in Beledweyne involving Hawadle politicians and community elders, according to Hiirey Ahmed Roble, a former secretary of the Banadir Regional Administration. Speaking at a press conference, Roble said the gatherings produced a unified stance on both the election and the wider political situation in Hiiraan region.
- Advertisement -
“The central conclusion of the meetings is the clan’s rejection of any election held without a political agreement,” Hiirey said. “The clan reaffirms that no imposed election—one conducted without consensus—can take place in Hiiraan region, including its cities, districts and villages.”
He said Hawadle politicians and elders had consulted extensively before agreeing that a vote lacking community approval and a political accord could not proceed anywhere in the region.
Hiirey praised residents in several parts of Hiiraan, including Jalalaqsi, Matabaan and Jawiil, saying they had already made clear their opposition to what he characterized as a unilateral electoral process.
He urged people throughout the region’s districts and villages to organize peacefully and publicly state their position.
According to Hiirey, the planned demonstrations would underline opposition to an election process viewed by the clan as forced and unsupported by consensus among key stakeholders.
The standoff comes as tensions mount over the upcoming Hirshabelle leadership election.
Hawadle politicians and community leaders have pressed for the state’s top post, while the Justice and Unity Party has challenged those demands by renominating incumbent President Ali Abdullahi Hussein Gudlaawe as its candidate.
The disagreement has also heightened concerns about the electoral process in Hiiraan, where politicians and other prominent figures have insisted that voting should not go ahead without a political agreement.
