Jowhar (AX) — Ali Abdullahi Hussein Gudlawe will lead Hirshabelle for another five years after lawmakers re-elected him on Saturday, despite unresolved disputes over the regional administration’s electoral process.
Gudlawe won 81 votes, defeating Nur Ilmi Halane of the Ramaas political organization, who received 13. Four ballots were invalid, the regional parliament said in announcing the results.
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Lawmakers elected Abdifatah Hassan Afrah as vice president with 79 votes. His opponent, Abdifatah Bashi Mohamed, secured 16 votes, while two of the 97 ballots cast in the deputy presidential election were invalidated.
The vote took place in Jowhar, Hirshabelle’s administrative capital, in the presence of government officials, members of both chambers of Somalia’s Federal Parliament and other invited guests.
Gudlawe’s victory came after parliamentary elections on Sept. 30, when the Justice and Unity Party (JSP), led by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, won 78 of the regional legislature’s 99 seats.
The presidential election has unfolded against a backdrop of political tension, particularly in Hiiraan, where political leaders and traditional elders have called for wider consultations on representation and the sharing of power.
Hirshabelle Vice President Yusuf Ahmed Hagar, widely known as Dabageed, said Friday that he would stay in office until an inclusive political agreement was reached and rejected the planned election in Jowhar.
Dabageed accused the federal government and its political partners of moving forward without adequate consultation. He instead endorsed a forum launched by traditional elders and community representatives in Beledweyne to debate the future of Hirshabelle’s political administration.
Even so, a number of Hirshabelle politicians and opposition figures congratulated Gudlawe and called on the incoming leadership to make reconciliation a priority.
Former Internal Security Minister Abukar Islow Duale offered his congratulations and urged the administration to respond to political and social grievances.
“I advise the new leadership to work in a spirit of unity and to strive toward fostering true reconciliation among the people of Hirshabelle, especially those who have grievances,” Islow Duale said.
Federal lawmaker Abdulkadir Osoble Ali also congratulated Gudlawe, saying he hoped the new term would advance development, security, reconciliation and unity among Hirshabelle’s communities.
Gudlawe, who first assumed the Hirshabelle presidency in November 2020, begins his second term as calls continue for political dialogue and a broader agreement on the governance of the regional administration.
