Southwest parliament elects speaker and deputies in Baidoa
In a vote held at the regional parliament hall in Baidoa, Mahad secured 70 votes. His rival, Abdihakim Fiqi, won 25.
Friday June 5, 2026
Baidoa (AX) — Southwest State’s lawmakers on Thursday chose Mahad Mohamed Sheikh Hassan as speaker of the regional House of Representatives, marking a major step in completing the new parliamentary leadership.
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In a vote held at the regional parliament hall in Baidoa, Mahad secured 70 votes. His rival, Abdihakim Fiqi, won 25.
Lawmakers also elected Aden Hassan Mohamed Osama as first deputy speaker. He secured 82 votes, defeating Abdirisaq Hussein Aden, who received 12.
Shamso Mohamed Yarow was elected second deputy speaker with 72 votes, while Ahlaam Omar Mohamed received 21.
With those results, the leadership of the Southwest State House of Representatives — the region’s legislative body — was fully selected.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud congratulated the newly elected parliamentary leaders, describing the outcome as a sign of progress in democratic development and state-building.
“I am confident that they will discharge their duties with transparency, honesty and responsibility, and will work to strengthen the work of the House of Representatives and serve the people of Southwest,” Mohamud said in a statement.
The speaker holds one of the most powerful posts in Southwest State, overseeing parliamentary sittings, steering the legislative agenda and managing institutional ties with both the regional administration and the federal government.
Southwest State, which comprises Bay, Bakool and Lower Shabelle regions, sits at the heart of Somalia’s political and security landscape. It is also among the key battlegrounds in ongoing military operations against al-Shabab.
The election took place against a backdrop of rising political friction between the federal government and opposition groups over the electoral system, constitutional amendments and Somalia’s power-sharing arrangement.
