HirShabelle and Galmudug Election Disputes Deepen Somalia’s Political Tensions
BELEDWEYNE, Somalia — A growing dispute over Somalia’s electoral process spilled onto the streets of Beledweyne on Wednesday, as hundreds protested planned elections in HirShabelle state.
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The demonstration was organised by political figures opposed to the candidacy of HirShabelle President Ali Gudlawe Hussein, who recently received a candidate card from the Justice and Unity Party (JSP).
Protesters denounced what they called a one-sided electoral process and demanded an arrangement reached through consultation with all political stakeholders.
The unrest follows months of pressure from members of the Hawadle clan, who have been seeking the presidency of HirShabelle. Political sources have said President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud previously pledged to transfer the position to the clan after Gudlawe’s term ended. His critics now accuse him of retreating from that understanding.
The confrontation in HirShabelle comes as the federal government faces wider disputes with political groups and local stakeholders over how elections should be organised across Somalia’s federal member states.
In neighbouring Galmudug, authorities on Wednesday began a rerun of the state’s presidential election. JSP candidate Liiban Shuluq is widely expected to win after emerging as the leading contender in the race.
But the vote in Balanballe was contested after the Tawfiq Party rejected the decision to hold the election there, underscoring the unresolved disagreements surrounding the process in Galmudug.
The separate disputes in Beledweyne and Balanballe point to broader political divisions over elections in HirShabelle and Galmudug. Opponents accuse the federal government of favouring specific candidates and attempting to shape the outcome of the electoral process.
AXADLETM
