Somalia: JSP Backs Ali Gudlawe for Second Hirshabelle Term as Hiiraan Opposes Election Plan
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somalia’s ruling Somali Justice and Reconciliation Party (JSP) has endorsed Hirshabelle President Ali Gudlawe for another term, escalating a political standoff over the state’s planned elections.
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The party’s decision comes as politicians, traditional elders and residents in Beledweyne, the capital of Hiiraan region, continue to reject Gudlawe’s bid for re-election.
Opponents have made clear that they will not support an election in Hiiraan without a prior political agreement covering the electoral process and Hirshabelle’s future leadership.
The dispute has added to mounting tensions over the federal government’s plans for state-level elections in Hirshabelle and Galmudug, as President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration confronts a wider disagreement over its mandate and electoral strategy.
JSP’s endorsement has sharpened the political split in Hirshabelle, where Gudlawe’s administration has faced resistance from prominent politicians and community leaders in Hiiraan.
Political figures and traditional elders in Beledweyne have repeatedly urged consultations among key stakeholders and a political settlement before voting takes place in the region.
Resistance to Gudlawe’s candidacy is also tied to broader disputes over Hirshabelle’s political structure, including the relationship between Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle, the two regions that comprise the federal member state.
Critics say an election held without political consensus could intensify existing tensions and weaken the legitimacy of any administration that emerges from the vote.
The federal government, meanwhile, has continued to advocate direct voting and push ahead with elections in several federal member states as part of its broader political agenda.
The Hirshabelle dispute is unfolding amid a larger confrontation between the federal government and opposition groups over the electoral model, proposed constitutional changes and the timetable for national elections.
With JSP now formally supporting Gudlawe, the race for the Hirshabelle presidency is likely to become more contentious, especially if Hiiraan’s politicians, elders and residents maintain their opposition.
The immediate test will be whether the federal government and Hirshabelle authorities can reach an understanding with Hiiraan stakeholders before the planned vote proceeds.
Absent such an agreement, opposition figures in Beledweyne have warned that the government could encounter serious resistance to elections in Hiiraan, threatening to derail the wider Hirshabelle electoral process.
AXADLETM
