Dhusamareb (AX) — Liibaan Ahmed Hassan won Galmudug’s presidential election on Wednesday, securing 72 of the 89 votes cast by regional lawmakers and consolidating the Justice and Unity Party’s control following a contested electoral process.
Abdulkadir Abdullahi Diriye, representing the Sincad political organization, received 14 votes in the Galmudug presidential vote. Three ballots were invalidated, according to results announced in Dhusamareb.
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The presidential result follows months of legal challenges and political tensions over Galmudug’s electoral arrangements. A Supreme Court ruling overturned an earlier parliamentary election, while the rerun excluded Towfiiq, the organization that had successfully challenged the original results.
Galmudug Presidential Election Results: Liibaan Wins 72 Votes
Every member of Galmudug’s newly elected, 89-seat parliament participated in the presidential vote. Liibaan, the Justice and Unity Party (JSP) candidate, secured an overwhelming majority over his Sincad rival.
Vote Breakdown: All 89 Lawmakers Participate
The announced count was:
- Liibaan Ahmed Hassan, JSP: 72 votes.
- Abdulkadir Abdullahi Diriye, Sincad: 14 votes.
- Invalid ballots: Three.
Liibaan’s total exceeded the JSP’s 67 seats in the assembly by five votes, indicating support from lawmakers outside his party. The overall tally does not identify which lawmakers crossed party lines or establish how each JSP member voted.
Justice and Unity Party Adds Presidency to Parliamentary Control
The victory extends the JSP’s dominance following the Sept. 30 parliamentary elections, when the party secured 67 of the legislature’s 89 seats.
That result gave the party a decisive majority before lawmakers convened to choose the regional president. Liibaan’s election now adds the presidency to the party’s control of the assembly and its senior leadership positions.
JSP Secures Speaker and Both Deputy Speaker Positions
The JSP also captured every senior parliamentary post. Hussein Mohamed Nur became speaker, while Abdirisaaq Ahmed Ali was elected first deputy speaker and Mursal Abdi Adan became second deputy speaker.
Together, the parliamentary result, leadership elections and presidential vote mark a consolidation of the party’s position within Galmudug’s regional institutions. However, the size of its majority comes against a backdrop of unresolved concerns about participation in the electoral process.
Somalia’s Supreme Court Overturned July 30 Parliamentary Election
The route to Wednesday’s presidential election included a successful legal challenge against Galmudug’s July 30 parliamentary election.
Somalia’s Supreme Court overturned that election’s results after finding violations of constitutional and electoral procedures. The court ordered officials to organize a new vote.
Towfiiq brought the challenge that led to the annulment. Its court victory required authorities to return to the parliamentary electoral process rather than proceed on the basis of the July results.
Authorities subsequently held the rerun on Sept. 30. The JSP emerged with 67 seats, establishing the parliamentary majority that preceded Liibaan’s presidential victory.
Towfiiq’s Exclusion From Sept. 30 Rerun Remains Central to Dispute
Despite winning its challenge to the initial election, Towfiiq was barred from participating in the Sept. 30 rerun.
The exclusion prompted renewed concerns about the inclusiveness of the electoral process. The organization that secured a court order overturning the first election was therefore absent from the replacement contest.
The supplied account does not specify the grounds for barring Towfiiq. It also does not establish whether the organization pursued a further legal challenge against its exclusion or the rerun results.
Wednesday’s presidential vote establishes the outcome of the parliamentary ballot, but it does not in itself resolve the concerns raised by Towfiiq’s exclusion. Those concerns relate to the process through which the assembly was elected, rather than the announced arithmetic of the presidential vote.
Galmudug Election Timeline: July Vote to Presidential Result
- July 30: Galmudug held a parliamentary election whose results were later overturned by Somalia’s Supreme Court.
- Court ruling: Following Towfiiq’s challenge, the court found violations of constitutional and electoral procedures and ordered a new vote.
- Sept. 30: Authorities held the parliamentary rerun without Towfiiq. The JSP won 67 of 89 seats.
- Parliamentary leadership: The JSP secured the speakership and both deputy speaker positions.
- Wednesday: All 89 lawmakers participated in the presidential election, with Liibaan winning 72 votes.
The central outcome is a clear parliamentary victory for Liibaan and a further strengthening of JSP control. The electoral backdrop remains contested because the court-ordered rerun proceeded without the organization whose challenge had brought it about.
