Dhusamareb (AX) — Liibaan Ahmed Hassan was elected president of Galmudug on Wednesday after winning overwhelming backing from the regional parliament, extending the Justice and Unity Party’s (JSP) control following a contested electoral process.
Liibaan, the JSP candidate, received 72 of the 89 votes cast. Abdulkadir Abdullahi Diriye, who represented the Sincad political organization, won 14 votes, while three ballots were invalidated, according to results announced in Dhusamareb.
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All 89 members of Galmudug’s newly elected parliament participated in the presidential vote.
Liibaan’s tally surpassed the JSP’s 67 seats in the assembly, indicating that lawmakers from outside the party also supported his candidacy.
His victory came after the JSP dominated Galmudug’s Sept. 30 parliamentary elections, securing 67 of the legislature’s 89 seats and establishing a decisive majority.
The party also captured every senior parliamentary post. Hussein Mohamed Nur became speaker, while Abdirisaaq Ahmed Ali and Mursal Abdi Adan were elected first and second deputy speakers, respectively.
The presidential vote follows months of legal challenges and political tensions surrounding Galmudug’s electoral arrangements.
Somalia’s Supreme Court overturned the results of the July 30 parliamentary election after finding violations of constitutional and electoral procedures, ordering officials to organize a new vote.
Authorities held the rerun on Sept. 30, but Towfiiq, the political organization that had challenged the initial results in court and won their annulment, was barred from taking part.
That exclusion prompted renewed concerns about the inclusiveness of the electoral process.
