BAIDOA, Somalia — Abdiaziz Laftagaren has been re-elected president of Southwest State following a swift, indirect vote held Saturday in Baidoa, 250km from the capital, Mogadishu, in a move that challenges Somalia’s push for one-person, one-vote elections.
Lawmakers from the newly formed third parliament, whose members were announced late Friday, voted to return Laftagareen to office. He faced a challenge from Abdullahi Haji Hassan.
The electoral committee said Laftagareen secured 66 votes, granting him another term leading the federal member state.
Earlier Saturday, lawmakers also re-elected Ali Said Fiqi as speaker of the third parliament. Shamsa Mohamed Yarow was elected second deputy speaker after defeating Jamaala Ahmed Hussein, election officials said.
The indirect vote runs counter to efforts by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to implement unified elections across Somalia, a plan opposed by several federal member states and opposition leaders.
Federal authorities have deployed hundreds of troops and military equipment to Buurhakaba district in the Bay region, with forces expected to move toward Baidoa. The deployment is seen as an attempt to remove Laftagareen from office.
Laftagareen, meanwhile, has mobilized his own troops and is preparing to defend his position, raising fears of potential clashes.
The development mirrors events in Jubaland, where Ahmed Mohamed Islam secured a third term in November 2024 through an indirect election.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has about 49 days remaining in his four-year term and continues to push for unified elections despite opposition from Jubaland, Puntland and Southwest State, as well as political rivals in Mogadishu.
