Somalia is gradually imbibing the attributes of democratic governance. Its lawmakers have elected Mohamed Mursal Abdirahman, as speaker of parliament’s lower house after two rounds of voting in Mogadishu’s heavily protected parliament building.
61-year old Abdirahman is a former Somali ambassador to Turkey who is believed to have a close working relationship with Prime Minister Khaire. He will lead a parliament divided by the recent dispute.
The election of the speaker comes as the country faces serious security and humanitarian challenges. Leaders of the countries which contribute troops to the African Union have recently announced plans to stop reducing the number of peacekeepers in the country because Somali security forces are not ready to take over those responsibilities.
The country also faces serious humanitarian issues as thousands of people have fled due to flooding and heavy rains in the south central regions in recent days. One of the worst-hit areas has been the Hiran region, according to the government, which declared the situation a national disaster.
President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo flew to Beledweyne last Tuesday to see the affected areas first-hand. Aid organizations have warned of a possible outbreak of diseases such as malaria and cholera.
